Phenomenon

Comment

Comment by Nikki Coulombe on September 15, 2013 at 1:20pm

The series, "Phenomenon", portrays amazing sand-shapes that were formed naturally by the ebb and flow of changing ocean tides and constant wind, only for about one mile in this particular location along the Oceanside, Oregon beach. I only happened upon them on two separate days, as is suggested, stunned and ecstatic, as if they were undiscovered treasures from some other world, also thrilled to have my camera with me. Otherwise, how could I ever describe the fine, sophisticated beauty and individuality of each. The cone-shaped piece above may have been the most unbelievable, had I not been able to capture the image, study it again and share it. Some shapes were more interesting as groups, as the resident curator mentions. Actually, the expanse of the phenomenon could not be captured by camera, or any other medium, except by the human presence itself. Things like this certainly influence my work, as in the Zen Garden series, but often Nature is the best artist of all. For example, the surrounding  sand-scape with varying colors of sand, some sparkling black from ancient volcano activity, created wood-grain-like patterns and all manner of textures -- quite incredible! I have been back on other occasions, and new shapes were there, but not as spectacular...one of the days was a Saturday, which meant more people, happy dogs and foot traffic, some who found it too enticing to kick them apart, and the latter having no clue or care as to where they ventured. You can bet this is now my favorite local beach, and this series is open-ended; "to be continued", as Nature's potential and possibilities are infinite.

Comment by Resident Curator on September 15, 2013 at 9:17am

Curator’s Comment:

 

I can’t ascertain from your comments on this new series if the imagery is purely ‘found’, or if you’ve manipulated the sand yourself, in the tradition of Andy Goldsworthy, and others, etc.  I find the smaller groupings of objects most interesting as they suggest covered, buried entities.  They have an anthropomorphized quality, as they could be crabs, small burrowing sea creatures or some unworldly, previously undiscovered organisms. The larger groupings likely indicate a natural phenomenon, and natural movements of the tides.  Therefore for me the focused editing of a single form or pairing adds to the mystery and possibility.  But as a whole, the grouping of photographs creates a beautifully subtle, monochromatic suite.  Variations between the sequential images build on each other to create a ghostly silenced landscape. Looking at your more traditional paintings posted earlier, I’m wondering if you’ve made drawings and paintings of the sand sculptures. The Zen Garden series come close to capturing the more minimal orchestration of delicate and restrained organic configurations.