Untitled by Arthur Desillier

Arthur Desillier. Detail of untitled and undated mixed media. Found material on beach sand with wooden base. 24 x 24 in. Courtesy of the Walker Collection of Florida Self-Taught Art.

Presented as wall piece, this three dimensional snapshot of the sea evokes the sound of waves and salty air. It's composed of sand, driftwood, shells, pearls, a desiccated seashell. There are small details throughout. In the bottom left of the piece, a figurine of a frog rests inside a shell-adorned cabana. In the middle ground, a slanted sign reads ‘tired boat builder’. Near it, there is a tiny bird and a makeshift boat made of rope and bones. In the background: scallop shells with painted eyes, mouths, and glued on noses. Clam, conch, and scallops. A scene arranged with painstaking precision. Suspended. The next wave able to move things out of place.