Thomas Farmer [CV]
PO BOX 703 Black Diamond, Alberta, Canada
studio@fracturescapes.art
THE LIVING FRACTURE
Fracture-Scaping begins with naturally found wood fractures. I read their ridges, recesses and planes as fields of landscape possibility, using chromatic interpretation to reveal a composition guided by the fracture. The fracture remains the governing form and a participant in authorship.
PRESERVED FORM, PAINTED INTERPRETATION
Interpretation remains confined to naturally fractured surfaces. Unfractured exterior wood and bark are preserved, and expressive fracture geometry is not mechanically reshaped. Minimal preparation is permitted only on the horizontal base plane when required for stable presentation.
PROVENANCE AND STEWARDSHIP
The practice preserves each work’s available connection to its source, while By Nature works require documented geographic provenance and chain of custody.
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[BY NATURE GALLERY]
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[PHILOSOPHY]
[METHODOLOGY]
[PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT]
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[REGISTRY INDEX]
EXPEDITIONS/WORKS RECOVERED UNDER THIS PERMIT
NATURALLY FRACTURED TIMBER ALONG GORGE CREEK ROAD
Expedition 1 documented and recovered naturally fractured timber at four sites along Gorge Creek Road within the Calgary Forest Area. The fieldwork brought together landscape photography, in-situ observations, geographic records and specimen tagging while revealing practical recovery challenges that informed the developing methodology.
Eight specimens were recorded across the four sites. Original identifiers are retained below, with their standardized persistent identities shown in parentheses.
AUTHORITY
Recovery took place on June 6, 2026, two days before the commencement of Alberta Local Timber Permit [LTP4626012]. The earlier recovery was disclosed to the Area Forester and subsequently approved in writing for inclusion under the permit.
The recovery date and subsequent written approval remain distinct parts of the provenance record.
SITE 1.1 | WEATHERED CONIFER FRACTURE
Recorded coordinates: 50.731755° N, 114.605332° W
Recorded elevation: 1,413 m
The first site contained an old, weathered conifer fracture with pronounced patina and substantial landscape possibilities. Species was recorded as unidentified conifer.
Two specimens were recorded under the original identifiers:
1a (1.1a-2026)
1b (1.1b-2026)
The recovery notes document a fall onto the main piece’s projecting peak after the trunk was cut too high. The piece sustained structural damage but remained intact. A separate interlocking section also came away.
This outcome became a recorded recovery lesson: the existing fracture required greater support and a lower initial recovery cut to reduce the risk of damage.
SITE 1.2 | HILLTOP CONIFER FRACTURES
Recorded coordinates: 50.742249° N, 114.586902° W
Recorded elevation: 1,560 m
The second site contained three field-dried conifer structures on a hilltop cutblock near road access. The photographs document the surrounding landscape, standing fractured remnants and recovered material. Species was recorded as unidentified conifer.
Three specimens were entered in the tracker under the original identifiers:
2-1 (1.2a-2026)
2-2 (1.2b-2026)
2-3 (1.2c-2026)
Physical tags and other early records also used lettered identifiers for this group. These variations remain part of the original documentation; the standardized identities distinguish the expedition, site and individual specimen.
The field notes suggest wind damage and possible previous removal of fallen sections, but neither explanation was established. Splitting during detachment and another overly high recovery cut were recorded as practical lessons.
SITE 1.3 | WEATHERED DECIDUOUS FRACTURE
Recorded coordinates: 50.744545° N, 114.576640° W
Recorded elevation: 1,560 m
The third site contained an old deciduous fracture on the west side of a hilltop cutblock. Species was recorded tentatively as “Poplar or Aspen.”
One specimen was recorded under the original identifier:
3 (1.3a-2026)
The notes describe weathered patina, a waterlogged base at the recovery cut and a bark deformity near the fracture. Structural failure and an old machinery wound were considered as possible explanations, without establishing the cause.
Its scale, softened edges and existing geometry offered possibilities for a larger landscape interpretation.
SITE 1.4 | PAIRED CONIFER FRACTURE
Recorded coordinates: 50.754777° N, 114.548686° W
Recorded elevation: 1,364 m
The fourth site contained a conifer fractured near the base of its trunk. Both sides of the fracture were recovered, preserving complementary material from the same break.
Two specimens were recorded under the original identifiers:
4a (1.4a-2026)
4b (1.4b-2026)
The field notes emphasize the exposed grain pattern and describe the source as growing as part of another tree. Species was initially recorded tentatively as white spruce; subsequent research suggests black spruce, although identification remains unconfirmed. The remaining-tree diameter was not measured.
Specimen 4b (1.4b-2026) required an additional vertical cut to separate it from the source. This intervention is recorded for classification review because it extends beyond the horizontal base-plane preparation permitted under the current By Nature methodology. The specimen is therefore provisionally considered outside By Nature qualification.
IDENTIFIER DEVELOPMENT
Expedition 1 helped establish the need for a consistent specimen-identification system. Early records and physical tags used abbreviated numeric and lettered identifiers that did not always distinguish the expedition, site and individual specimen.
Original identifiers remain preserved as recorded. Standardized persistent identities are shown in parentheses to connect that early documentation to the current system. For example, 2-2 (1.2b-2026) identifies Expedition 1, Site 2, Specimen b, recovered in 2026.
This clarification preserves continuity without rewriting the historical record. The standardized identity follows the specimen through assessment and studio development. A collection designation is added only after completion and review.
FIELD RECORD
The retained record includes site-organized landscape and specimen photographs, in-situ fracture views, recovery photographs, physical tags, recorded coordinates and elevations, and post-recovery images.
Embedded capture dates in all four site-photo groups read June 6, 2026. Camera-recorded times place the photographed site sequence between approximately 13:30 and 15:21.
The expedition account preserves observations and uncertainties from the original tracker. Tentative species identifications and possible fracture causes remain qualified. Recovery damage, documentation gaps and identifier changes remain visible as part of the practice’s development.
RECOVERY IS NOT QUALIFICATION
The eight recovered specimens entered the practice as material for assessment and interpretation. Recovery established their recorded source connections; it did not by itself establish successful stabilization, artistic resolution or collection qualification.
A specimen that achieves artistic resolution and satisfies the complete By Nature requirements may receive the FSN collection designation. A completed work whose provenance falls outside the full By Nature requirements, or whose documented developmental treatment departs from the current methodology, may receive the FSG designation. Specimens that fail materially or remain unresolved retain their field and assessment records without receiving a completed collection designation.
Later treatment, interpretation and collection outcomes belong to the individual specimen and artwork records.
Expedition 1 established an early field record of both possibility and consequence: the fractures offered the forms, while recovery revealed the care required to preserve them.