Charles Wiese

Lessons from the Natural World

Sitting in the grass—look at a nearby wasp.

See it fly.

Give it time and watch some more.

It is surfing in the turbulent wake of a wind-blown grass seed-head.

Note the subtleties of movement as it finds its way into a sweet spot as the wind gusts and shifts directions. The wasp shifts in concert with the movements of the seed-head.

I picture the flow of air around the seed-head—vortices of swirling air create pockets of relative quiet and the wasp's flight becomes easier.

The wasp's attentiveness and intelligence provide respite from the full force of the buffeting wind.

We are all subject to the buffeting winds of our times.

Cultural forces have worked to ever shorten our collective attention spans.

What are we missing because we do not spend the time to truly engage with and observe our circumstances?

Charles Wiese is an artist who lives and works in Houston, Texas. His new project entitled "It's Complicated" is the result of extended observations conducted during the pandemic at Houston Willow Waterhole Greenway.