I encountered this tree in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest atop the White Mountains of California. This tree exists in a severe environment- battered by high winds and cold, there is little moisture available. It grows slowly, only adding 1 inch in girth every 100 years or so, yet thrives. It has grown to be one of the most ancient living organisms on the earth.
There is a wonder in contemplating the thousands of years it took for those roots to crack the earth while its boughs rested amongst the flickering stars. It is a place where my memory can jut up against the infinite and reverberate.
Collaborative artwork between Rachael Pease and Tadashi Moriyama. Music by David Voyzey.