Reclaimed box elder wood 

2024

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Sculpture EV 1/5 + 2AP 

53.25” x 48.25” x 2.5”

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Framed Print 1/5 + 2AP

59.25" x 54.25" x 2"

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Inquire on availability and pricing art@tiffanyshlain.com​

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“Prehistory” is defined as the period before writing existed; “history” refers to the period after that, starting approximately 3200 BCE. Trees—the natural source for producing paper—have been instrumental in preserving and transmitting history. If We Lose Ourselves highlights how humans have stored and archived information for future generations, and so can be considered as a “history of history.” Following the contours of tree rings, the work maps a chronology that begins with the invention of writing and moves through key moments in the development of recorded knowledge. 

 

As the timeline progresses, it marks the appearance of early algebra texts, the founding of major public archives, and periods of censorship and book burnings. The timeline culminates with the introduction of contemporary tools like ChatGPT, linking ancient methods of knowledge-making to emerging technologies. Together, these inscriptions reflect both the fragility and durability of human memory and the evolving ways we, as humans, document who we are.