About This Project

Emily Coghlan

‘Bleeding Yew’ is a photographic project informed by themes such as constriction and freedom, abuse of power, and living with an autism-spectrum condition and post-traumatic stress symptoms, thinking these subjects through alongside aspects of yew tree history and growth. Paying close attention to the Taxus (yew tree) species’ ways of living has offered reparative and ecological considerations to my photographic process. Yew trees can develop twisted branches and roots, and are renowned for their long lifespan, particularly when left to grow naturally. My research has explored these intertwined histories of Taxus, including their mythological, botanical, and cultural pasts. An early stage of ‘Bleeding Yew’ involved applying vegetable beetroot paint to different parts of woodland trees, inspired by bloodlike ‘sap bleeding’ that occurs naturally on some yew trees, especially after rainfall. These open insides highlight the yew’s capacity to grow outwards. The application of the dye pairs the appearance of human blood drawn from traumatic injuries, both emotional and physical, with the regenerative potentials of the yew. Yew-related artefacts found in online libraries were collected throughout the project’s research period. They inspired new works in analogue, cyanotypes toned with beetroot emulsion and have been intergrated into the series themselves. By studying the regenerative growth patterns of yew trees, the project hopes to offer allegories for reparation, paying attention, and listening to pain.

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