Anyone who hikes in the forest can feel the healing power of green nature. The magnificent illustrated book “The Woods” offers almost such an intense experience. The fluted light brown book covers imitate the bark of a tree. Kilian Schönberger’s atmospheric photographs allow readers to immerse themselves in the forests. On his forays through the forests of Europe, the photographer developed a feeling for how trees and forests can be presented in a particularly impressive and artistic way, and in which light they look best. Whether covered in fog, flooded with light green spring light or gloomy as in a fairytale forest, the photos literally allow the viewer to sink into the forest. Black alders are reflected darkly in the water, ancient hat beech trees stand in the sunshine, and the branched branches of a willow beech stretch out in light green leaves.
The texts report in detail about the forest ecosystem, the forest from an economic, mythological and cultural studies perspective, albeit in a rather textbook-like and dry manner. But they provide a lot of knowledge about forests, their use past and present and their spiritual significance. They encourage you to go into the forest and perceive it with all your senses and carefully.
The last picture in the book shows young green trees growing back in the middle of tree trunks that were once destroyed by bark beetles. The text reads: Forest gives hope. Katja Maria Engel
Pia Franziska Kraus, Kilian Schönberger
The Woods. Unique cosmos – eternal cycle
We Mind Publishing, 304 pages, €80
ISBN 978-3-911408-01-1