This portfolio of photographs was made at a variety of Italian sites: Boboli Gardens in Florence, Ostia Antica outside of Rome and within the ancient walls of Rome itself. Before my first visit to Italy in 2007, I had never seen anything like those tree surfaces. Paper thin and patchy, deeply grooved and scab-like, the bark of the trees seem to belie its purpose. Rather than protect the tree, this surface seems to leave the tree vulnerable to the natural elements. This sense of vulnerability is what I responded to as I made my photographs. The surfaces of the trees communicate the very human experience of being willing to open up oneself to the possibility of life’s harsh treatments. Yet, they continue to stand, flourish and thrive.