Beneath the Burning Edge

About this piece

A vast bank of dark clouds rises above two silhouetted sailboats, its upper contours traced in brilliant gold. Mike Gedj places the horizon low in the frame, allowing the luminous sky to dwarf the vessels and the seabirds crossing between them.

The story

I watched the two boats beneath a sky that seemed almost too heavy for the horizon. Along the cloud tops, sunlight drew a bright, uneven line; below them, the orange opening held the sails in silhouette. Then a bird crossed the space between the vessels, its wings briefly echoing their dark canvas. I framed the sea as a narrow strip, leaving room for the clouds and that small passage of life beneath them.