"Morbus" is Latin for "disease". This refers to the obvious burl on this large piece of white ash. It also refers to the concept of "distress", which is suggested by the orientation of the piece off from the vertical axis. The work is shaped so that from the back, the burl is not visible. Instead, it appears as a large piece of dimensional lumber, a product created by and for the use of humans. There is no awareness of the state of the tree from whence it came. The tree’s struggle is unknown to us. This piece is meant to remind us that this material comes from a living organism, one that shares many of the same stresses that we face.
