'Secrets of the Past'
Ostensorium - 2022Mixed media (click for details)8" x 10" x 32"
From as early as the 13th century, ostensoria (from the Latin ostendere: "to show") have been used in the Catholic church to protect and exhibit revered religious relics or consecrated bread wafers used for the holy sacrament. Early precursors to the sunburst 'monstrances' now seen in modern church ceremonies, ostensoria often feature a hollow glass or rock crystal column set within a ornately decorated wooden or precious metal frame. Inside the column resides a lovingly presented sacred symbol, for the adoration of the faithful. The ostensoria created by artists in 16th-century northern Europe are among the finest known, and have inspired this piece.
Glass sponges are remarkable deep ocean species - wonders of bio-engineering. The woven glass spicules that comprise the framework of the sponge are derived from the conversion of silica acid from seawater. In some species of glass sponge, a breeding pair of deep water shrimp are often trapped inside the interior of the sponge column, establishing a life-long symbiotic relationship. Perhaps inspired by this mutualism, glass sponges are given as wedding gifts in Japan to symbolize undying love.
Some species of glass sponge have been determined to be more than 10,000 years old - as a result, chemical analysis of the glass fibers can be used as a proxy for long-term changes in earth's climate and marine chemistry. Recent research suggests that warming temperatures and acidification of marine waters related to climate change could cause irreversible damage to Salish Sea glass sponge reefs in the coming years.
The claro walnut used for this piece was gifted to me from my friend Clifford, who in the 1960's, sailed around the world in a 20' engineless wooden yawl (Trekka), using a sextant for navigation.
