Robert occasionally reworks earlier motifs into his “Illness & Healing” series. Here he uses the wharf setting, which was such a notable feature of his “Accident” series. In that series, the wharf was a site of mystery, a bridge between land and sea, a place to ponder difficult questions, as well as referring to the many watery vistas of Nova Scotia. It’s notable that Robert poses here as the patient. Behind him stands Heather Pitt, a friend and model from the “Seal Upon Thine Heart” series. The artist locates himself between a woman and the sea, two sources of inspiration, two connections from his past. The image looks like a fantasy, a desire to travel to remote spots, far from the hospital and other troubles, or it may be that the artist feels his cancer has already placed him in an isolated spot, facing an uncertain way ahead.