Lost Statements Final: What the Sea Left Behind
Materials: Wood, yarn string, plaster shell forms, blue glass marbles, rocks, real sea shells, and blue beads
Dimensions: 10 x 2 x 42
What the Sea Left Behind is a wind chime sculpture I created using wood, yarn, string, five plaster cast clams, other plaster shell forms, real sea shells, and blue glass marbles. It hangs vertically in four strands from a wooden beam, with each strand combining both natural and handmade elements. I used yarn and string to tie everything together, allowing them to move gently, creating a soft visual rhythm as if they were swaying in the ocean breeze. The vertical hanging structure mimics how the sea gently drops things ashore, scattering shells, stones, and debris in its own slow rhythm. It creates a sense of stillness and movement at the same time, as if the piece is caught in a moment of being washed up by the tide. The blue beads represent both the ocean and the sky. They catch the light and create a shimmering effect, reminding us of water, reflection, and openness. I found the real shells on the beach and collected them to show the natural beauty of things shaped by time and tide. The plaster casts are based on those real forms, but they are created by hand, replicas that carry memory rather than life. The difference in my materials, from real sea shells to handmade plaster forms, reflects a contrast between what nature has shaped and what has been recreated by people. The real shells were once living things abandoned by the sea, while the plaster versions were made in response to something already gone. Together, they explore the idea of loss, not only physical but emotional, and how we try to recreate the moments, people, and places we miss. Through this work, I wanted to capture the feeling of finding something beautiful and forgotten and the quiet stories that objects can tell when we take the time to look closely.
