| Issue #35, November 24, 2006 |
Sandscapes
What is creativity? This question is not easy to answer. For years, Manhattanites, artists, and writers have come out to the East End to find the space, time and light to create. It’s hard to say where and when we find inspiration to develop new ideas, concepts, and points of view. Even more interesting is the process that occurs when we attempt to make something new. The ancient Greeks believed that the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who were each given providence over various aspects of the arts, inspired select humans to create art and that these muses were the source of all inspiration. But did they ever take a look at the beaches out here? I don’t think so.
The beach, the ocean, the bay, the sound, the harbor and the lake are all great sources of inspiration to many artists in the Hamptons. In fact, the beach lends itself so well to creative work that some artists have not just used the pristine atmosphere of the beach for inspiration, but have actually manifested the beach in their work as a canvas, tool or medium.
Robert Smithson is most well-known for his provocative earthwork, or beach-work, called “Spiral Jetty,” a 1500-foot-long, 15-foot-wide, counterclockwise coil that juts from the shore of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Smithson composed this artwork of basalt rocks and earth in 1970, on the Lake’s northeastern shore. In creating this artwork, Smithson’s goal was to be able to place the work in the land rather than on top of it. At the time of “Spiral Jetty’s” construction, the water level of the lake was unusually low because of a drought. Within a few years, the water level returned to normal and submerged the piece for three decades. The jetty re-emerged in 1999, and was completely exposed. Originally, “Spiral Jetty’s” black rock contrasted by muddy water, but due to salt encrustation, its second incarnation appeared to be near-white juxtaposed against pinkish water. During the spring of 2005, the lake level rose once again, due to a near-record-setting snowfall in the mountains, and the work was partially submerged.
“Spiral Jetty” was the first modern earthwork that made people start to think of different ways to create art using beaches and the land that surrounds them. One of these artists, Jim Denevan, makes “sand swirls” on the beaches of Northern California. The design takes hours to create with many-thousand sweeps of a rake, and is considered a temporary sculpture, as the design only exists for a few hours until the tide comes in and erases it entirely.
Art inspired by the beach surrounds us – if we take a moment to look around. Adults and children alike enjoy making sand art by layering different colors of sand on top of one another inside a bottle of their choosing. Some even take sand from the beach to create scenes by sprinkling sand on top of designs made from liquid adhesives, such as school glue.
Shells can also serve as a great beach-medium, amd can be used to make simple jelwery, such as necklaces and bracelets. Shells can also be used for decoration when displayed in large glass jars, on coffee tables or on shelves. People also use shells to decorate on picture frames and other found objects. The beach appears not only as decoration or on a monumental scale, like the work of the two aforementioned artists, it can also manifest itself in paintings. When using watercolors, one can paint a background, and then throw salt onto the paper to make interesting designs. Dune grass can also be used as a brush or medium to create different angles and brush strokes. Whether you are going to Sagg Main Beach with a rake in hand, or collecting odd-shaped shells while walking along Main Beach in East Hampton, let the beach inspire you. Be creative and try something new. After all, she is your muse.
– Victoria L. Cooper
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