Thomas Speck Art

This is an ongoing art project.

The series takes its inspiration from the image of a seed buried in the earth — hidden and at rest at the end of winter. What happens between the moment the grain is stored away in the barn and the moment it germinates in spring? The seed rests silently in the soil and, within that mysterious silence, an ending becomes linked to a new beginning.

In the Yi Jing, this state is represented by the trigram “Kên”, meaning “Keeping Still”. Symbolised by the mountain, it is associated with the quiet threshold between the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Here emerge the themes of death and life, dying and resurrection — reflections awakened by the transition from the old Chinese year to the new. It is a time of inner transformation, in which stillness, stability and deep silence mingle with change, renewal, metamorphosis and movement, bringing with them a new clarity. It is also a period marked by deprivation, scarcity, cold and slowness.

In the Christian tradition, this season corresponds to Lent — a time of introspection. As Pope Francis wrote on 18 February 2024:

“We too are invited during Lent to ‘enter the desert’, that is, into silence and our inner chamber, as we listen to our heart in truth..”

So how can this tension between keeping still and transformation, so closely connected to a particular time of year, be expressed visually?

At this time of year, the sun remains low and vibrant colours fade. The visual language of the project reflects this: a reduced palette, with most images in black and white. Mountains, rocks and frozen ice can evoke stillness, while moving water, the aurora borealis or emerging vegetation suggest transformation.

For the moment, I have chosen the following sequence:

1. Home at the Edge of Silence — Entering silence and withdrawal.
2. Beneath the Stillness — Beneath stillness, movement begins.
3. Uncertain — The path becomes uncertain.
4. Passage to the Beyond — Crossing a threshold.
5. Where Light Outlives the Dark — An opening beyond the end.
6. High Hopes — Hope, openness and a spiritual dimension.
7. Spirit of Permanence — The still heart of transformation.
8. Silent Guardians in the Ocean’s Embrace — Permanence amid movement.
9. Winter Lights — The first signs of awakening within winter.
10. Dancing in the Moonlight — Movement becomes more alive.
11. Echoes of Becoming — Transformation begins to reveal itself.
12. Icy Gold Melting — The thaw becomes visible.
13. [Image to be created] — The first tangible sign of renewal.
14. Nature’s Paradox — Life emerges from the inert.
15. Rebirth — Death, passage and rebirth.
16. Revealing — Transformation leads towards a new clarity.

This progression will form the basis of the series’ visual poem, which is still being developed.

For any questions about this series or a particular work, please feel free to contact me directly.

Fine art prints are already available for selected works in this series.