Scott Filipiak: The hidden meanings of trees and barcodes

While gazing at the tall white columns of aspen tree trunks after moving to Utah, graphic designer and marketing expert Scott Filipiak saw barcodes. The morphing of aspens into UPC codes appears amusing and static but under the surface lie questions, anxiety and movement. The artist inspires us to question the objects of our deep-seated fears and wonder how destructive they might ultimately be.
In addition to the paintings that feature trees, others portray images of chainsaws and hatchets — instruments of progress or weapons of destruction depending upon the viewer's perspective.