“Hanging Sycamore Branches” by Tyler Huntzinger

Name: Tyler Huntzinger

Title: “Hanging Sycamore Branches”

Medium: asphalt & oil

Price: $2900

Dimensions: 28 x 22

Artist Statement: 

This image of sycamore branches references the biblical story of Zacchaeus, emphasizing the importance of seeking the divine, overcoming obstacles, and being open to transformation. In the Gospel of Luke (Luke 19:1-10), Zacchaeus, a tax collector in Jericho, desired to see Jesus, so he climbed a tree to get a better view. When Jesus reached the tree, he called Zacchaeus by name. They shared a meal, and Zacchaeus found alignment with his moral values. This story illustrates the act of seeking the divine and the effort needed to overcome barriers. Sycamores are typically large trees due to their rapid growth. Many have enormous leaves and beautifully mottled bark. However, the seed balls produced each fall that often linger into the spring are, to me, their most prominent feature. Seeing these hanging always serves as a reminder that our individual efforts can lead to spiritual growth and positive change in our lives.

Artist Bio: 

Some of my earliest memories involve exploration of colors and their relationships to the world. I am particularly interested in using materials that are not often combined and that may be considered unconventional in the creation of gallery pieces. For example, I use microscopic, reflective glass beads; mica powders; metal flakes; and even roofing tar. The rich ambers, vibrant blacks, and luscious chocolate browns which can be found in my paintings are almost exclusively the result of the tar’s influence on a very limited number of other paint colors in any given piece. I use oil-based and water-based paints interchangeably. Throughout the work's progression, I am careful to preserve much of the spontaneity of the materials' natural interactions with each other. These interactions are manifested in the finished pieces as bleeding edges on shapes, erosion of dissolved areas, and beaded forms. I am fascinated by the way living objects affect each other and are changed by the world around them: the spacing of birds roosting; the texture of feathers fluffed against the cold; the tortured growth of trees bent, or even broken by the wind; the way branches arch to make way for the traffic of a road. My paintings reflect my personal mythology, the result of many hours, daily, of internal narrative. I hope others can find some personal meaning in my distraction.