The drawing is the first artwork created after my son's birth. With becoming a father, new responsibilities and an undefined identity provide a relentless wave of change and uncertainty.
Mariana Trench weaves the wisdom of nautical proverbs and restorative optimism into a singular graphite composition. Jason deCaires Taylor, sculptor and environmentalist, whose permanent site-specific sculptural works exhibited in underwater environments explore conservation and environmental activism, provided supporting inspiration.
My drawing focuses on self-preservation rather than environementalism. In the second year of the pandemic, feelings of fading and sinking into a metaphorical abyss were familiar. New habits were calcified, and the routines within a virtual space often shroud us in a veil of anonymity. We try not to move in an effort to disturb what lurks below.
While the drawing evokes melancholy, I find hope in the words of Wayne Muller. "As the storm rages and the winds howl, the deep waters sway gently, a slight movement of fish and plant life. Below, there is no storm."
There will forever be storms and conflicts that rage around us, but by learning from the sea and embracing the growth and behavior of coral reefs, our patience rewards and heals us.