by Laura Bernardeschi Nelson
2026
Mixed media assemblage on panel in deep wooden frame
60 × 60 × 10 cm
“Salt Memory” emerged from my ongoing interest in transformation, erosion, and the fragile relationship between the human body and the natural world. The work combines acrylic, spray paint, seaweed, rope, glue, and found organic materials collected near the sea, creating a layered environment suspended between preservation and decay.
At the center of the composition appears a stylized feminine figure, partially revealed and partially consumed by the surrounding matter. Rather than functioning as a portrait, the figure acts as a symbolic presence — an archetype connected to memory, nature, ritual, and survival. The surrounding seaweed and textured materials behave almost like a living archive: tangled, weathered, and altered by time, salt, and exposure.
I was interested in creating an object that feels simultaneously intimate and archaeological, as if it had been recovered from a forgotten shoreline or discovered after years beneath water and sediment. The deep wooden frame reinforces this sensation, transforming the work into something closer to a relic, shrine, or preserved fragment than a traditional flat image.
The contrast between delicate iconography and rough organic material is central to the piece. The feminine form remains visible but vulnerable, surrounded by elements associated with decomposition, movement, and environmental instability. Small reflective fragments scattered across the surface evoke traces of memory, marine debris, or constellations suspended within darkness.
The work also reflects my interest in environmental textures and the emotional language of natural materials. Seaweed, rope, and found objects carry physical histories within them: they are marked by water, weather, erosion, and human contact. By incorporating these materials directly into the composition, I wanted the artwork to retain a tactile and almost visceral connection to place and time.
“Salt Memory” exists between painting, assemblage, and sculptural installation. It is intended not only to be viewed, but also to evoke the sensation of encountering something preserved from another emotional or ecological reality — something fragile, unresolved, and still alive.