Process

That Which is Within You (The Gnosis Stela)

2014
Assemblage with coins destroyed in fire and Aramaic engraving on granite
12 x 28 x 4? inches
Collection of Jess Beal

The piece was made for a friend who had lost everything in the 2011 Texas wildfires which destroyed his home. The coins were one of the only remaining possessions and had melted together in a jar. The loss of everything was a catalyst that allowed him to hit a sort of reset button on life. Emptiness. With nothing left to lose there was a new found freedom. Money, now useless and made beautiful by its destruction with blue-green patina and sculptural form made a lovely metaphor. The engraved words are attributed to Jesus from the Gnostic gospel of Thomas (lost and never added to the bible unfortunately). The reason: The Gnostic gospels portray Jesus as just a man who believed? ?The kingdom of heaven? is in us all and we are all god. Go figure. The Aramaic text, Line 70 from the gospel of Thomas translates as: ?If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.” i.e. : get that stuff out of you before it causes an ulcer! During my research I soon realized that line 71 said: “I shall destroy [this] house, and no one will be able to rebuild it.” These are the last two lines on the piece. Serendipity. Things fall into place when you are on the right path it seems. Im so happy Jesus was not a Fundamentalist Christian.