Secret Faces
In almost every bone I've found, a face can be seen in the swirls and crevices where end meets end. But, looking around, a secret face can be seen in almost any thing, be it a tree, a stone, or a fallen leaf. It is human nature to impose the human form or features onto things that have faces of their own. I let the bones reveal what they will, and do not try to force my expectations onto them. The face that you see here is no more nor less than the face of the Creator, imprinted on a bone. Fish and bird, leaf and stone combined make up the elements of this piece. Slate has been mounted on wood saturated with English chestnut stain and the edges of ground ivy can be seen peeking out from behind the earth-brown rock. Bordered on all sides by bone, the face in the center watches as we go about our business, wondering if we will even take the time to notice that we are not alone. The piece measures 3.5 inches wide by 5 inches long, has been signed and dated by the artist and includes the poem Secret Faces on the back. A curl of bark, a knot of wood, the twist of an autumn leaf—
if only we'd stop, if only we'd look, if only we could see
the turn of a head, the pointed glance, of the secret faces in each. Private Collection
