Whenever you eat a bar of hazelnut chocolate, it's very likely that, without thinking about it, you're munching what might have become a whole forest. The hazelnuts are the seeds of the hazelnut tree. Nature is generous, which we should be grateful for. Just by throwing a glance around makes us realize that we are truly indebted to the trees.I probably didn't have that kind of thoughts when I, as a child, was swinging from branch to branch, just for the fun of it. By the way, I had my own tree: The apple tree in the garden with four different places for me to perch, - one for the kind of mood I was in. On one branch it was possible to hide from the ominous shouting that came from the open window. In my philosophical moments I had a sort of reclining chair with a view of 'the whole world', and when I felt low and moody, I curled up between two leafy branches. That was the place where I took to my tears; fortunately, it was hardly ever used. Then there was the branch for acrobatics and my more advanced circus dreams. There the bark was almost worn off. Now the whole tree is gone. It just couldn't cope with the hurricane in 1992. I do miss my apple-tree.There are severeal reasons for believing that many people have or have had a similar relationship with a tree. Most of us enjoy the tradition of dragging a tree into the home for Christmas. My father, who could even select the best spruce from his own forest, had the habit of coming home with the ugliest one he could find. At least that's what we children thought. He explained that the finest trees had to be saved to grow big as he was drilling holes for extra branches in what was to become our Christmas tree. In that way we could go round the decorated tree without feeling ashamed. It always looked its best with the star on top and the presents heaped around its foot.

It must have made quite an impression on me that it was possible to mend a tree. I fantasized a lot about what a whole forest would look like if it was repaired. Just imagine if we had to repair all the forests everywhere! This notion has been bothering me as a grown-up as well. Whenever the issue was dying forests, I made up an imagined picture of repaired trees. Finally, I just had to make the forest myself in order to see what it would look like. The installation project 'Repaired Forest' had become reality.It is not always easy to answer questions in the course of such a process. In my profession you usually make a product which is unique of its kind, and quite often it has no practical function. My neighbour asked me what I was doing while I was struggling with an electric drill in order to rebuild a willow tree. All I could think of was 'I do this to show that it's not fit for life!'What else can a poor neighbour say?

After much strife and hard work, my project was completed and installed in a beautiful room, an old barn in the centre of Volda. I believe that an installation, as a means of expression, is able to release thoughts and stir up new feelings in people.After having worked with trees as a theme, my respect for Nature has certainly not been reduced.

The painting has the title 'Repaired Forest'. The technique is based on a photo collage of the elements of the installation with the same name. The photo is transferred to black and white print and hand-coloured. Colour: Acrylic. Paper: Rag paper. Size of original:40x60cm.

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