Trees in urban or industrial settings can appear solitary, but in Sinziana Velicescu’s series “A Tree Grows In,” she takes a graphic and playful approach to the topic. The series makes use of unexpected relationships between trees, their settings and each other, and one could almost caption their conversations as they peek over the flat roofs of buildings or hover beside factory smokestacks.

‘A tree grows in’ is an observation of trees growing in unusual places. Often times they are comical landscaping choices intended to beautify otherwise unappealing industrial or commercial spaces. There is a disturbing quality to the photographs though, as if the plants are asking for help, or to be moved from their locations. 

My favorite of the series is the two palm trees against a moody sky. It stands out from the series and might use a bit of explanation, but I took the photo during a big fire near LA that made the sky feel apocalyptic which was an unusual contrast to Los Angeles’s usual blue skies.”