According to the dictionary the definition of a forest is “a large area covered with trees and undergrowth.” This description seems pretty vague but maybe that’s because each forest is so complex and has its own distinct ecosystem.
Back around 1997 Peter, along with a dozen California artists, received a GSA (General Services Administration) commission to do artwork for the soon to be constructed Robert T. Matsui U.S Courthouse in downtown Sacramento CA. Doing a commission can be a long drawn out process. This particular commission had to go through many levels of committee approval, which meant Peter had to travel 7 hours to attend a series of meetings. After a year of emails, meetings and sketch submissions, Peter was finally assigned a large vertical wall on one of the upper floors. With this information in hand Peter set off to find the perfect California subject matter. This led him to the White Mountain region of the Inyo National Forest in Eastern California. The word Inyo in the Native American language is translated to “Dwelling Place of the Great Spirit”. What better name for a forest that houses the world’s oldest living trees, the ancient Great Basin Bristlecone Pines.
Peter’s interest in unusual trees and their root systems dates back to when he first moved to California in 1970. His show at the Richard Gray Gallery in Chicago in 1976 and the William Sawyer Gallery in San Francisco were entirely this subject matter. So it was not surprising that Peter would see the beauty in these ancient survivors. These gnarled, weather beaten resilient trees ( Pinus Longaeva) are thought to be at least 5,000 years old. Scientists list them as the oldest living non- clonal organism on the planet. These trees grow in the sub-alpine regions of Eastern California and are scattered through the high mountain regions of Nevada and to a lesser extent in Utah. The most famous of these trees is named Methuselah, which is listed as 4,850 years old. The forest service says there is an older tree but they refuse to give out its name or location for protection. Fragments of dead trees, trunks and limbs scatter the forest floor and provide nutrients for the living trees. However most new seedlings die within the first year with a mortality rate of 99%.
About a month before the installation of Peter’s commissioned painting titled “White Mountain Patriarch,” a spark from a PG&E electrical transformer started a grass fire about 1/4th of a mile west of our house. When I heard about this fire all I could think of was the painting and all the meetings, field work and emails that it took for the commission to finally approve the final design. I rushed down to Peter studio and grabbed the painting. This was not an easy task, since the painting was 72x48 inches. Since Peter had gone to town earlier in his pick up truck I wasn’t sure what to do next with the painting except to slowly start walking it down the county road away from our house and the fire. Lucky for us the fire was put out rather quickly by local volunteers. When Peter arrived home he was surprised to see his painting in the living room. I told him the story of the fire and he gave me a big hug and thanked me for my “heroic effort” to save his artwork from becoming just a pile of ash.
The Robert T Matsui U.S. Courthouse was completed in 1999. Peter and I, along with the other commissioned artists and guests, were invited to the grand opening. I am not sure if you can go into the courthouse these days just to have a look at the art. Better yet, if you’re in this neck of the woods, go out for a hike and have a look at the ancient trees in the Inyo Forest in person!