Life in Abstraction

Wandering along the water’s edge, one glimpses the magical world beyond the hazy veil of salt spray. Encrusted on the rocks are gooseneck and acorn barnacles, limpets, anemone, and mussels packed tightly together. These intricately patterned creatures face environmental damage-- the crashing surf, the drying sun, harvesting as delicacies, and damage from humans in their quest to view this delicate ecosystem. The barnacles chatter as they move inside their shells, reminding us to observe without disturbing them. The organisms arrange themselves so closely together that the creatures visually merge: the eye cannot distinguish where one creature ends, and the next begins. An abstract pattern emerges as the contrasting shapes compete for space in one small crevice. Delicate beauty like this reminds us that we must look with our eyes instead of our hands to preserve this natural art form.