The Endless Cycle Under the Sun

The first verse emphasizes:  "All things are full of labor; man cannot utter it." This is portrayed in the lush, rolling green hills—symbolizing the labor of the earth, an ongoing effort that never ends. The house nestled in the greenery represents human existence, a simple life that is part of this larger, tireless natural cycle. The home, while a sanctuary, is dwarfed by the vastness of the landscape, reminding us of our smallness within the grand design of the world. No matter how hard we work, we are part of something much bigger, and that effort—like the growing fields—continues long after us.  

"The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing." The brilliance of the  sunset , bathed in hues of  orange, yellow, and pink , represents the fleeting beauty we constantly chase but never fully grasp. Like the sun, which sets each day only to rise again, we, too, are in a continuous loop of wanting more—of seeking new sights, sounds, and experiences, never fully content with what we have. The  sun’s light , breaking through the clouds, bathes the scene in a golden glow, capturing the eternal longing we feel to experience and understand more than we ever can. The sunset, in its radiant beauty, embodies this idea of fleeting satisfaction.  

"The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be." This line is portrayed by the meandering  path , representing life's journey. The path is not linear; it twists and turns, reflecting the repetitive nature of human actions and decisions. What has been done before will be done again, much like the pathway that will be walked over and over by many. Each step feels new, but in reality, it has already been taken before. The  tree on the side is both growing and decaying, symbolizing the passage of time and the fact that the cycle of life and death is ever-present.  

The question posed in  verse 10 — "Is there anything of which it may be said, See, this is new?" —is answered by the gentle merging of past and future in this image. The  clouds above , blending into the warm light of the sunset, serve as a metaphor for how memories fade into the horizon of time, their details softening with each passing moment. Everything we encounter in life feels novel, but it is ultimately rooted in something that has come before.  "It hath been already of old time." The timeless sky reflects this truth, unchanging and eternal, though our perception shifts with the seasons.  

The last verse,  "There is no remembrance of former things" , is represented through the dreamy, almost surreal quality of the image. The soft edges and glowing light suggest how our memories of the past are incomplete and often distorted by time. The  forgotten map at the base of the image represents our lost knowledge, the forgotten footsteps of those who have come before. The map is a symbol of the many paths once traveled, now forgotten, as future generations forge ahead on similar roads without knowledge of the past. It reflects the fading memory of humanity’s history, something that will repeat itself for those who come after us.  

This artwork was inspired by the recurring themes in Ecclesiastes of futility and the endless cycles of life. In creating this, I reflected on how these verses speak to our modern lives, especially in the way we chase after new experiences, new achievements, and new technologies. We often believe we are doing something groundbreaking, but in truth, it is merely a continuation of what has been done before. Human ambition, no matter how great, is part of a larger pattern, and the verses in Ecclesiastes remind us of that grounding reality.  

The  colors in this piece are symbolic of both life's richness and the passage of time. The bright greens of the earth suggest life’s vibrancy, while the softer pastels in the sky hint at the transient beauty that is always slipping away. The sunset, a mix of  orange, pink, and yellow , symbolizes the inevitable end of each day, of each life, yet it also brings peace—a reminder that the cycle continues, and that’s part of the beauty.  

In pondering the lines of Ecclesiastes, I was reminded of how often we strive for meaning in life, only to find that much of what we seek has already been sought by others before us. This realization brings both comfort and sadness. There is comfort in knowing we are part of a greater whole, but also a sobering reminder that our individual pursuits, like those who came before us, will eventually fade from memory.  

Ultimately, this artwork serves as a visual meditation on the idea that nothing is truly new, and yet, in every cycle, there is a quiet, unspoken beauty. Just as the sun rises and sets, so too do generations come and go, leaving behind traces of their existence, even if they are eventually forgotten. It reminds us to live fully in each moment, knowing that, while our time is brief, it is also part of something timeless.