Boats, left in trees with the ragged remains of possessions dangling from the branches, tell the story of hurricane Katrina's storm surge and aftermath here on the Gulf Coast. All too often this is becoming a familiar sight in coastal areas around the world.
For years I've painted and built boats that 'fly' in a metaphorical sense, inspired by myth and history: Egyptian barques for travel through the after life, soul ships of Irian Jawa, the funerary long boats of Norse warriors and, of course, canoes, dugouts and pirogues of both Native American and Cajun cultures.
Boats are powerful symbols of transcendence. Mine are vessels of the psyche, instruments for navigating inner worlds. They reflect personal journeys, as evoked by photographer Minor White as he closed his eyes on his deathbed and said, "I have to go now. There's a small boat waiting."