Transformation: Below the Noise

“Then stirs the feeling infinite, so felt in solitude, where we are least alone.” Lord Byron.

Growing up in one of the largest and most fast‑moving cities in the world, I was surrounded by constant motion—noise so loud and pervasive it obscured any sense of the “big picture.” The imperceptible chaos and relentless visual distractions made it difficult to connect with the world in a meaningful way. Nineteen years ago, a profound encounter with the solitude of the desert shifted that perspective. Later, the coastline landscapes of South Louisiana and Mississippi deepened this transformation, revealing the inherent connection we all share with the larger world. In these quiet environments, I learned to listen beneath my own internal noise. The desert, with its sublime stillness, made me aware of my smallness within the vast scope of life, yet also affirmed my belonging within it. The Southern coastline, with its ceaseless movement and erosion, taught me to see landscape as a living process—always shifting, always enduring.

This relationship between stillness and movement, permanence and transformation, became the foundation for TRANSFORMATION: BELOW THE NOISE, a series of large‑scale oil paintings exploring the spiritual resonance between the American Southwest Desert Canyons and the sublime coastal environments of South Louisiana and Mississippi. While visually interpreting the canyon formations shaped over centuries by flash‑flood waters, I began collecting rocks on‑site to create natural pigments for my own oil paints. This process allowed me to recreate tones formed through environmental oxidation, grounding the work in the physical reality of the landscape itself. Simultaneously, my observations of the coastline revealed parallels between the fluid motion of water and the intricate, evolving forms of the desert. These contrasting terrains—one shaped by erosion, the other by sediment and flood—share a profound dialogue of transformation.

My hope is that viewers will recognize the delicate nature and global significance of these landscapes, understanding their interconnected roles within the planet’s larger ecosystem. Through this body of work, I aim to cultivate a deeper consciousness around the urgent need to protect and preserve these environments—distinct yet united in their vulnerability, resilience, and spiritual magnitude.© 2019 Belinda Flores-Shinshillas