Tree V – Light, tree and symbol in oil

When a tree becomes a sign

In Tree V, little remains of the familiar idea of a tree. The form is still recognizable, yet it is beginning to dissolve. Trunk and crown turn into a bright, ascending figure that recalls less a depiction of nature than a sign in space.

The tree is no longer at the center as a motif. It becomes the starting point of a transformation. The more the concrete form recedes, the more space opens up for one’s own thoughts and associations.

Light in the darkness

The painting is defined by a strong contrast. Dark color spaces surround a luminous form that tapers toward the top and leads the eye through the image. The composition is reminiscent of a cone of light, an opening or a path leading out of the darkness.

This gives the work an unusual tension. The glow does not appear decorative but orienting. It creates the impression that something is becoming visible that was previously hidden.

From object to meaning

Trees traditionally stand for growth, life and constancy. In Tree V this meaning remains tangible without being directly narrated. The tree disappears as an object and is elevated precisely through that disappearance.

To the extent that the concrete form recedes, its symbolic power grows. The painting moves between memory, orientation and hope. It does not describe a specific place or a specific story. Rather, it opens a space in which meaning can arise.

Oil painting between symbol and abstraction

Like all works in the series, Tree V was also painted in oil. Transparent layers, luminous traces of color, and dark overlays remain visible and make the painting process tangible.

The work moves between representational painting, abstract image-finding and experimental art. It is precisely this openness that makes it so appealing.

Smear Board – Familiar signs reconsidered

The Schmiertafel series deals with generally familiar pictorial signs such as flowers, smileys, trees or figures. They are simple forms that everyone recognizes and whose meaning seems fixed.

In these paintings, the form remains while its execution becomes increasingly uncertain. Color no longer follows the expected paths, decisions become visible, corrections leave new traces. From something familiar, a state emerges between order and dissolution.

The works are about the fragility of simple certainties. They show how even stable signs can lose their self-evidence and how small shifts can open up a new, more open pictorial space.

Original painting by Mark Hellbusch

Tree V is a unique original from my studio in Wiesbaden near Frankfurt. Like all works in the series, the painting emerges in an open process between symbol, colour and experimental painting.

Discover more works

My painting moves between abstraction, experiment and figuration. The following visual worlds offer insights into different work phases, themes and artistic questions.

Smear board,

large paintings and

black paintings

About the artist

I have been a freelance painter since 1997 and have explored a wide range of themes in painting. While I worked predominantly in expressive painting up to 2007, my focus today is primarily on experimental art. My personal background and many further groups of works can be found in the “About the artist” section.

Contact & Studio

0176-21916227

markhellbusch@web.de

Studio in Wiesbaden – viewings by appointment.

Direct purchase and shipping also available.