Bethesda in Montgomery County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Tree I

1981 stainless steel tubes and steel cables

— Kenneth Snelson (b. 1927, Pendleton, Oregon) —

<i>Tree I</i> Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Michael Fischer, May 9, 2023

1. Tree I Marker

Inscription.
The history of the National Institutes of Health and the mission of the Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications inspired artist Kenneth Snelson to create this elegantly angular metal sculpture. The artwork's modular configurations of rods and wires distribute a scheme of compression and tension that holds the sculpture in dynamic equilibrium.

Snelson has described his artistic practice as being "concerned with nature in its primary aspect, the patterns of physical forces in three-dimensional space." The sculpture's complex composition reflects his interests in atomic theory, the underlying structures of the universe, and the idea of connectedness. As indicated by the artwork's title, Tree I also suggests an abstract tree of knowledge, its many branches symbolizing the interrelatedness of science and the humanities.

Commissioned through the Art in Architecture Program
Fine Arts Collection
U.S. General Services Administration

Erected 1981 by U.S. General Services Administration.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Settlements & Settlers.

Location. 38° 59.725′ N, 77° 5.942′ W. Marker is in Bethesda

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, Maryland, in Montgomery County. It can be reached from Medlars Drive. Marker and sculpture are on the plaza near Building 38A, on the National Institutes of Health campus (Photo ID is required to enter the campus). Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Bethesda MD 20892, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies

and also the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Bear and the Steelhead (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Totem For Healing (about 400 feet away); Raven and the Sun (about 400 feet away); Tree of Hippocrates (about 400 feet away); Honoring a Century of Women's Health (approx. ¼ mile away); From Trolley to Trail: A Brief History (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Louis Stokes Laboratories (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Centennial Anchor (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bethesda.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Tree of Hippocrates (was about 600 feet away but has been confirmed missing).

Also see . . . NIH Objects of Art: Kenneth Snelson Sculpture - Tree I. (Submitted on October 22, 2023, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)

Additional keywords. Tree I

<i>Tree I</i> Marker on Plaza image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Michael Fischer, May 9, 2023

2. Tree I Marker on Plaza

<i>Tree I</i> Sculpture image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Michael Fischer, May 9, 2023

3. Tree I Sculpture

Credits. This page was last revised on October 22, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 22, 2023, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 286 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 22, 2023, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.