A Dendrochronological Phenomenology

This essay was presented at the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness retreat at Esalen Institute on March 21, 2024.

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Abstract:

This presentation investigates trees and time from a phenomenological and ecofeminist perspective through an analysis and critique of Tiffany Shlain’s Dendrofemonology. As an alternative to androcentric tree cross-section timelines often seen in national parks such as Muir Woods, Dendrofemonology is an artwork that traces historical events centering women on a slab of deodar cedar wood. What can tree rings uncover regarding human perceptions of time? Trees often live longer than humans, and their slow movement is imperceptible to casual observation. Such a dendrochronological view may prompt considerations for duration, presence, and memory. Arboreal phenomenology can offer an invitation to slowing towards a tree’s time.