Emily Wilson
The Pearl Glade, 2013
Wood and steel
26 x 23 x 6.50 in
$4,400
“Emily Wilson The Pearl Glade”
Artist's Statement
I wanted to depict a local species of ibis for this sculpture. According
to American Indian folklore, one of the symbolic meanings of this bird is
said to be that the ibis is the last to seek refuge before a hurricane and
the first to appear after it, representing danger and optimism. Also an
inspiration was the mythology of the Egyptian god Thoth, a god of
knowledge, wisdom, and most importantly a patron of the scribes and
writing, he is often shown as having the head of an ibis. In the
sculpture, the bird is shown as walking instead of perching so to
represent the continuation of experience.
The lavender-blue book's title is Sophia, a mythological goddess of
wisdom. Above the name on the right side of the open book cover is an
image of a Louisiana Iris. On the spine of the book the image of a honey
bee and flower center represent pollination and fruition. Below are three
x's representing thirty year's time. On the left hand side of the book is
a little crab holding a stem of pearls, and possibly going to ingest them.
Crustaceans are known to be a primary food source for the ibis bird. The
book itself is bordered in the string of pearl imagery, pearls of wisdom.