Roots of War in Popular Song (forest of no return)

ARTIST STATEMENT

Drawing/diagrams (mostly) in the form of trees, which both elucidate and obfuscate the roots of contemporary phenomena and terminology. Sort of like borrowing the evolutionary tree format and applying it to other, often incompatible, things. In doing so a kind of humorous disjointed scientism of the mind heaves into view.

Published by McSweeney’s as Arboretum in 2006: Straight from the sketchbook, smudges and all, plus a four-foot foldout guide. It’s an eclectic blend of faux science, automatic writing, satire, and an attempt to find connections where none were thought to exist—a sort of self-therapy, allowing the hand to say what the voice cannot. Irrational logic, it’s sometimes called. The application of logical scientific rigor and form to basically irrational premises. To proceed, carefully and deliberately, from nonsense, with a straight face, often arriving at a new kind of sense. The world keeps opening up, unfolding, and just when we expect it to be closed—to be a sealed, sensible box—it shows us something completely surprising.

Tree Drawings courtesy of Pace/MacGill Gallery.



Below are five additional Tree Drawings, shown to give more context on this series. These images are not available as prints for purchase on 20×200.


Corporate to Personal Homeomorphism, 2004


From a seed it’s all downhill, 2007


Human Content, 2002


Military Technology, 2004


You’ll Get Used to It, 2004

newsletter Learn more - read Jen's introduction to this edition.

*This print is not eligible for discounts.

Roots of War in Popular Song (forest of no return)

by David Byrne

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    • 14"x11" 180
      Add frame 325
      • Black Frame, recommended 325
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ADDITIONAL PRINT INFORMATION

  • Limited-edition, exclusive to 20x200
  • Museum quality: archival inks, 100% cotton rag paper
  • Artist-signed + numbered certificate of authenticity included
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These prints are priced according to a schedule, with prices increasing as the edition sells out:

1-200 are $50,
201-400 are $100,
401-600 are $150.

All prints in this edition are 14″×11″.



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Detail:

David Byrne, Roots of War in Popular Song (forest of no return)

These prints are created using archival pigment inks on 100% cotton rag paper with a matte finish.

Our quoted dimensions are for the size of paper containing the images, not the printed image itself. We do not alter the aspect ratio, nor do we crop or resize the artists’ originals. All of our prints have a minimum border of .5 inches to allow for framing.

Please note: Discounts and promotional codes may not be applied to this edition.

We recommend a custom frame in black solid wood with UV protected plexiglass and floated on a white archival mat. Please note: Framed art may take up to 4 weeks to ship. Available for U.S. orders only.

  • 14"x11" print offered in 16.5"x19.5" frame (3/4” front profile x 1 1/4” side profile)

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How to Frame Your Art

All of our prints have a minimum border of .25 inches to allow for framing. We do not alter the aspect ratio, crop or resize the artists' originals—quoted dimensions are for the size of paper containing the image, not the printed image itself. For exact image sizes and more helpful info, view our framing guides: