In his letters and notes, Bess drew a number of symbols which he believed underlay all artistic expression. These images appear frequently in his work and symbolize aspects of his theories regarding eternal life.

			Young woman
			Young man
			Orifice (subincision)
			Bulbocavernous muscle fiber
			Stones (testicles)
			Golden star (anus)
			Marking of time; units of time
			To go
			To go and return; to go back and forth (masturbation)
			Craters
			Waves
			To go north
			Trees
			Moisture; drops
			Hermaphrodite
			Death (undilated urethra)
			Life (dilated urethra)
			To cut
			To cut deep
			To cut shallow
			To stretch
			To stretch (formalized)
			Hole
			Hole gets larger
			To stretch hole
			Color symbolism: red = male white = female green = young pale yellow = light Indian yellow = urine brown or tan = excrement

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