Before the Flood

Before the Flood is a journey. Composer and musician Nick Biello wrote “Before the Flood” to capture a mythical world he imagined as a child. A place that might have existed before recorded history, before any great washing away or reckoning. When I heard the music for the first time, I was transported. Before knowing his inspiration, I found myself in that imagined land. I felt it instantly and began a trek through time and space.

This piece is meant to be a reflection of a shared human cycle that we move through: abundance, turbulence, transformation, and the quiet work of renewal and balance. We move through these cycles as individuals and as societies, regardless of our place in history. We may be in different parts of the journey. Some lasting longer than others. Unpredictable, but predictable.

Thinking about this imaginary world, I created inks from natural materials that could have been used by ancient civilizations—coal, bark, ashes, blackberries, iron, pine needles—each one carrying symbolism and memory.

Before the Flood is not meant to illustrate a sacred text or dictate meaning. It is an invitation to sense the spaces between what was, what is, and what might be. It asks: What do we carry through the floods of our own lives? What remains? And what does it mean to begin again?

Natural Inks and their symbolism

I. Abundance: Blackberry - abundance, Maple tree bark - vitality, fertility, Pine needles - prosperity, possibilities

II. Turbulence: Blackberry - protection, Wood ashes - impermanence, Coal - destruction, regeneration, Iron gall - rise of civilizations

II. Transformation: Blackberry - resilience, Maple tree bark with iron - clash between nature and civilization, Pine needles with iron - longevity

IV. Renewal: Blackberry - renewal, harmony, Pine needles - healing, restoration of balance, Maple tree bark - wisdom, spiritual renewal, Pine needles with iron - endurance, strength in reflection, Iron gall - strength, lessons