In the Beech Forest by Gary Crew, illustrated by Den
Scheer (Ford St )
HB RRP
$29.95
ISBN
9781921665578
Reviewed by
Anastasia Gonis
A boy
retreats from the beasts and heroes, unconquered and other, from within his
computer games to venture into the forest for the first time to experience a
real adventure. The beech trees are as unfamiliar as the untrodden path:
primeval and haunting. This journey through the unknown is a test of courage
for the boy.
Although
imaginings flood through him, heightened by the strange sounds, and the images
of bones created by the fallen branches, his courage pushes him forth. He
recalls his fear of the darkness, and the dread of his computer characters
coming to life when he closes his eyes to sleep. But his mind calms his fears by
rationalizing each sight and sound.
A vibration
beneath him rises and reaches him like a living, breathing thing; the heartbeat
of nature. He comes across what he sees as ‘basalt runes from the dawn of time’.
He could be within one of his games were it not for the heartbeat. He touches
the earth and acknowledges the surrounding massive stone formations and the
history of life they hold.
He now has
seen things more powerful than those in his games and he connects with the
primal force of the forest. He has conquered his fears.
There will
be many interpretations of this story. Only the writer knows the truth. But
does it really matter? The preciseness and beauty of Gary Crew’s prose remains
unquestionable. He has aptly chosen Den Scheer, three times winner of the Artist
of the Year Award from 2009 onward, to interpret his work in black and white
using graphite and woodcutting. That she began this work at sixteen years old
is testament to her great gift which hasn’t yet reached its full potential.
Den’s
preference for her art work is graphite. The bold, exciting illustrations are
framed within what appears to be stone. It’s a dark, macabre interpretation,
gothic in its images, but breathtaking in its detail and expression. In the Beech Forest is
another collectable work of art.