Shell (Patience)
April 29th, 2012
This piece is in response to our readings on the spiritual act of listening.
Of all my creative responses, this is the most personally meaningful to me. Having lived my entire life alongside the ocean, I have come to see its nearness as central to my existence. For me, there is nothing in the world that stimulates such a visceral emotional response as the sight, sound, and smell of the ocean.
I realize how much of a hippie/pagan this makes me sound like, but I really cannot deny the ocean’s importance in my life.
There are very few things that I felt the need to bring to Harvard with me from home, but seashells were at the top of the list. Shells, in addition to “containing the ocean”, contain memories. The simple act of holding one to my ear brings me tranquility, and gives me hope. More so than photographs, the shells I have brought with me are an anchor for my life.
Given this background, suffice it to say that I can agree with the idea of shells as a medium for transmitting the divine Word.
I decided to show this visually by painting the interior of this shell a bright gold.
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