A new beginning
Just before Christmas I was invited to share the story behind this artwork at the annual closing assembly of the secondary school where I work. This piece came about during a school camp to Ameland in May 2001. I went along as a supervisor of a group of secondary school pupils. During the day we had all sorts of fun activities on the beach. Strolling along the beach, I found pieces of glass, broken wine bottles. The wine was gone, the bottles in pieces, the life gone out of them. This made me think of lives that have ground to a halt.
I carefully collected the razor-sharp pieces. I bound the shards together with copper wire and then pushed them into the campfire. From that moment I could no longer influence the process. Evening fell. The fire flared up and warmed and lit up those present. Marshmallows and sausages were held over the fire on sticks. The pupils looked on but did not quite understand what the artist was doing. Towards the end of the evening the fire was covered with sand. What was developing in the heat, hidden from view, nobody could predict at that point.
The next morning I went back early and looked for the spot of the campfire. There I began carefully removing the sand with my hands. From the still-warm ash a strangely shaped lump of glass emerged. It was still warm and soft in form. The sharp edges had gone, shapeless as an embryo. Pieces of charcoal had left their imprint in it. It had changed into something completely new. After many washes the glass was clean and transparent, prepared to be given a special place. Now it lies on a plateau covered with white sand, back on the beach of silver sand, as a whole, surrounded by a gleaming copper sea and finished with a beautiful wooden edge.
A sculpture that came about playfully (ludens) and that challenges and inspires you to find renewal yourself too. By what fire is my life being transformed into something beautiful? Jesus Christ said: “I am making everything new!”
Materials: glass, sand, copper, meranti (wood). Dimensions: 67 x 67 cm.
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Wat een prachtige symboliek! Wat eerst scherpe randen in je leven heeft, kan worden gelouterd. Achter Jezus aan kan het perspectief van de moeilijke dingen in je leven veranderen naar een nieuw gezichtspunt, naar betekenisvol. En niet zozeer vanwege de moeilijkheid zelf, maar omdat Jezus er zijn glans over heeft laten schijnen. Ik wil hier eens over verder denken, praten en ontdekken…en wat voor kunstwerk dit dan uiteindelijk op zal leveren.
Hallo Hannah, leuk dat je reageert. Fijn te weten dat er mensen zijn die geraakt worden door deze tekst en afbeelding. Ik wens je de glans van de Schepper op jouw proces. Wie weet deel je het resultaat nog eens met mij… dat zou ik leuk vinden.