By Jenny Zeller
This past April brought a return visit from Murray, Kentucky artist, willow sculptor and 2019 Artist in Residence Justin Roberts. Roberts came back to Bernheim to rehabilitate the Sounds of the Whippoorwill installation on the backside of Lake Nevin and to create Traverse Divine, an entry archway portal into our newly designated Meditation Trail, named in memory of Lily Banerjee, located directly behind the Silos Stage at the Education Center.
Traverse Divine taps into the sacred geometry that’s all around us. We observe its wonder in the coil of a snail shell and the fan of a pinecone. The installation design is based on the shape of two circles intersecting. The area created by these transversal lines is called Vesica Pisces, known as the mother of geometry and representation of the divine union from which everything else is born. Its origin is unknown, but its use and meaning weave in and out of all cultures and designs. It is where the mind, body, and earth meet. As you set forth on The Meditation Trail, know that you are a part of this sacred design.
Traverse Divine was conceptually designed by Shannon Davis-Roberts with installation help from welder Nathan Kennedy. Working onsite for two weeks, Justin actively engaged and educated the public about ecology, biology, and sustainability while inspiring positive change in the way our society views, values, and interacts with the natural world through the lens of art.
“I’m just a man who plays with sticks.”
~JUSTIN ROBERTS