Sound of Their Wings

“My aim in this series of drawings was to capture sound. My reference for this idea came from the paintings by Diego Velázquez ‘Jesus with Martha and Mary’ and ‘Tavern Scene with Christ at Emmaus’. In these two paintings there is evidence of someone listening, in the background and in the foreground.

“I wanted to experiment with capturing sound from the book of Revelation particularly Revelation 9:7-9. In this passage there is mention of the sound of locusts and the sound of the horses. Instead of using locusts I decided to use bees and a beetle. The bees represent diligence and faithful industry while the beetle crawling into the book (or on the fruit) represents evil, always eager to destroy the fruits (apple slices) of the righteous. It represents the silent enemy.

“In the background of the still life is an engraving of an oil painting by Rosa Bonheur called ‘The Horse Fair’ to represent the sound of horses. The books of knowledge, stacked, opened as well as closed, represent God’s letters to us, the means for us to know God, along with the music and two musical instruments, which are the means for worshiping God. The white cloth, continually unrolled in this series, is like the white robe of our righteous LORD, which covers His people.”

-Nicora Gangi