London Plane Tree: Beth Galton, US (Third place, still life)

Beth Galton: ‘As an artist and a person finding themselves in the later part of life, it has become essential for me to re-evaluate and prioritise how I move through the world. Walking to my studio, I pass a line of London plane trees, and have noticed that they shed their bark. The tree is growing rapidly, and the bark is unable to expand as quickly as the tree enlarges. This fascinating process resonates with me, so I created this photographic series, which consists of cast-off bark with manipulated self-portraits’