"The Things We Left Behind"

"The Things We Left Behind"
Mixed media assemblage, a collection of things, flotsum and jetsum of a life lived.

Wikipedia describes "jetsam" as things that have been voluntarily cast into the sea by the crew of a ship, usually in order to lighten it in an emergency; while "flotsam" are goods that are floating on the water without having been thrown in deliberately, often after a shipwreck.

Either way, as we make our way through life, there are many things we touch and hold dear. A doll, a marble, a ball . . . Eventually, some are cast away, having served their purpose, are rendered useless, while others are somehow lost and forever missed.

This piece was created a few years ago, and although I liked the piece I was never completely happy with it.  Because of this, I never entered it a juried show or exhibited it at the Sebastopol Gallery, where I show my work.
Instead I kept it in the closet, hidden, untouched, and unseen.  For some reason, I felt this piece was an 'experiment', something that went in a completely different direction from where I typically go.  It was a stretch, a concept, a test, a trial run . . . 

Recently, I was invited to submit work for a juried show titled "Evolution / Revolution".

I felt I did not have any pieces that fit the theme - then I remembered this, almost forgotten piece. So I dug it up, and dusted it off and tentatively entered it in the show. . . .

And wouldn't you know?  It was one of the pieces selected for the show! I was pleasantly surprised.

Just goes to show ya! You just never know what the jurors are looking for . . . .

9/2/12