“Sentient,” 18 feet. All images © Daniel Popper, courtesy of The Morton Arboretum

Spread across the 1,700 acres at The Morton Arboretum just outside of Chicago are five enormous figures by Cape Town-based artist Daniel Popper (previously). Constructed mainly of wood with elements of glass-reinforced concrete, fiberglass, and steel, the looming sculptures stand out against the verdant landscape and pay homage to nature’s endurance and diversity, particularly the 220,000 individual specimens growing on the grounds. Human+Nature is Popper’s largest exhibition to date.[…]

“Heartwood,” 15.5 feet

“UMI,” 20.5 feet

More: Five Towering Figures Sculpted in Wood by Artist Daniel Popper Loom Over The Morton Arboretum