Matthew Joshua Knisley , Geocosm II, 2014; graphite and charcoal brushed on papyri fragments hand woven with cotton thread, 30 x 38 inches; Courtesy of the Artist
Burchfield's archives reveal his studied fascination with symbolism, which he used to capture the countless emotions, sounds and other invisible elements that spoke to his senses. As he wrote, "An artist must paint not what he sees in nature, but what is there."