An artist was has admitted he was «creeped out» to hear the tree at Sycamore Gap had been felled merely days after he’d drawn it being removed by a UFO.
Inspired by surreal concepts and old B-Movie posters from the 1950s and 60s, Lincoln Lightfoot creates artwork depicting unusual events staged at well-known locations across the north of England. The 31-year-old York-based artist has drawn the Angel of the North being destroyed by dinosaurs, and a giant frog climbing around the Tyne Bridge in previous pieces.
But Lincoln couldn’t believe what he was hearing when he was told the tree at Sycamore Gap in Northumberland had been felled last week, after having drawn the tree being beamed up by an alien craft merely days beforehand. He was soon inundated with messages from people who were amazed at the coincidence.
- Read more: Sycamore Gap tree destroyed LIVE: Police issue arrest update after Northumberland landmark ‘felled’
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Lincoln got the idea of including the iconic tree in one of his artworks after someone suggested it to him – despite not ever being aware of its existence. He then created two artworks, one showing two dinosaurs at Sycamore Gap, and another showing a UFO beaming up the tree out of the ground.
Lincoln said: «I was doing a mural in the Metro Centre on a big wall in HMV and the manager suggested I do Sycamore Gap next. I’d never heard of it up until that point, but I knew a photographer who had loads of views of Sycamore Gap, so I looked through her photography and talked to her and I knew it was going to be the next thing I would focus on.
(Image: Lincoln Lightfoot)
«I did two pieces, the most recent was the UFO flying over the tree and pulling it up out of the ground. After that, a couple of days later, the tree was felled.»
Former art teacher, Lincoln, who posted an image of his artwork on social media soon after completing it, found out about the felling of the tree from the manager he’d met on his HMV job. It wasn’t long before he was inundated with messages about what had happened.
«I just couldn’t believe it», Lincoln continued, «I was shocked, but also kind of creeped out that I’d only just done that a couple of days before. It was really weird and I had all sorts of different thoughts. Generally, I think it’s terrible and a nonsensical act, a horrible thing. But coinciding with the artwork, I was worried it would change the meaning of it.
(Image: Lincoln Lightfoot)
«It was meant to be funny, like a comical piece, and then I thought ‘this isn’t really funny anymore’, so I was considering whether taking the piece off social media. I called the artwork No More Sycamore, so I thought the name was insensitive too, and in some ways I just pretended I hadn’t seen the news, as I didn’t know how to react.»
Many of the messages Lincoln received on social media were from people who were amazed at the timing of the pen and ink artwork. Others saw the funny side.
«I was getting a lot of comments, and people sending me images of crystal balls and asking me for the lottery numbers», Lincoln added. «I got all sorts of funny responses and no real negative comments. I thought people would maybe think I’d done it as a reaction to what had happened and I was worried they wouldn’t see what date I’d posted the art on social media. Most realised I’d posted it days before it happened. Someone commented ‘suspicious’, as if I’d done it to promote that I’d go and chop the tree down!»
The news of the felling of the tree sent shockwaves across the North East, with many people posting memories and pictures of their times visiting the location. Two arrests were later made in connection with the incident, a 16-year-old and a man in his 60’s. Northumbria Police confirmed that both suspects have since been released on bail.
More of Lincoln’s artwork can be found here.
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