I am an avid collector of shells which I find along Muizenberg beach. Now that I’m getting older I find I’m now attracted to the broken structured or very weathered specimens. Preferring to look inside and at the architecture of the shell. The structural inner workings. As a youngster, whenever the family went for walks collecting shells along the Capes beaches - I would dart out and run far ahead hoping to find the best shells first. My dad would always walk the slowest and pick up a shell and stare at it for ages - The shells he picked up where always to me very drab – And years later I would invariably find his small collection of shells tucked away somewhere amongst his personal things. I would recognize the shells as they where the common ones and to me at the time not so exciting. Well I now do the same – my kids run ahead, missing the shells I find exciting to look at and I walk slowly behind, picking up broken and drab looking specimens – Staring at them for ages to try and pick up a clue or a creative spark in their composition.
My collection of shells get deposited in the courtyard leading to the front door – It is here where for me the real drama begins. The collision of several distinctly different eco systems. The spiders use the shells and webonise intricately lacing the shell structures. What i call shell web spider moss lacing, a form of gothic architecture. The green moss creates an alluring patina, which also reminds me of gothic architecture which to my mind weaves itself around the structure like a habit. Its very other worldly, which from an aesthetic perspective – Is a type of wildetecture. The fusion of shell structures , linked into an arachnid lair fused with green moss and living organic vegetation. A strange combination of living specimens, but to me the linkage between how we can start looking at our built environment structures.
I sit and stare at my contrived spider, moss architectural playground – I would love to be able to shrink – and walk through these giant dangerous intricately shell laced hallowed halls.
