Wisdom
-- Releasing Youth from the Familiar to the Unknown
Panel 2: Earth (Wisdom) Wisdom is a special gift of the mature mind. It can be attributed to a solid foundation, an expanse of time, and the strong rhythms of the earth. The “earth” element of terrigena sed infinitus is carried by the images of the pine trees. The branches reach toward the “wisdom” figure (this figure is purposefully depicted larger than the youth figures). The wisdom figure is seated — a metaphor for the solidness of the earth. As the viewer reads the panel from left to right, the familiar changes to the unfamiliar. The youth is released by wisdom to go forth into the unknown. The background patterns (carved and incised) are mixed with the random placement of mosaic tiles to represent the unknown. From the solid rhythms of knowledge and wisdom to the unexplored paths that the youth will travel, the panel design employs the strength of the familiar to move to the yet unknown patterns of learning guided by the wisdom figure. The colors employed in the raised pattern of the panel’s right side are terra cotta, browns, greens, oranges and blues — a color mixture depicting the broad pallet found in nature (the earth).