02M-3

I like black-and-white. These were shot on 35mm Kodak T-max with a wide-angle lens. Not long after this I bought a digital camera, which could be set to greyscale but the results weren't to my liking. There are monochrome digital cameras that do away with the color filter array but are very expensive. Click on the images to see larger versions.

Let's Keep It Simple

The first Saturday after Labor Day is always special. Summer's crowds have gone home and I no longer have to take Fridays off from work to make sculptures so as to avoid them. As Rich has said, not only are there more people on summer weekends, thereby increasing the absolute number of jerks, but the tails of the curve reach farther so the jerks that show up are worse. This describes my experience very well.

So, this will be the first Saturday. In order to get a sculpture off, however, some planning is necessary because the tide is high in the morning, followed by an even higher tide after sunset. This puts the building site far up the beach, in the very dry sand that's full of trash.

Part of the plan falls apart at Trader Joe's. They don't seem to make Force Primeval Bars, the Luncheon of Sand Sculptors, any more but Zone bars are a decent substitute. I wander around the store, post-sculptural after Wednesday's hair-raising near failure, selecting all the things I need, including sunscreen. At the checkout I'm lucky because there's no line. I pack my things. The checker finishes and I run my card through the reader. It responds with a blank screen.
"Your card has expired."
I knew the lack of a line was a bad sign. This is what I get for following instructions: the new card said not to even think of using it until the start date. I pay for what I can with cash and slink out of the store, followed by the glares of the people now in line behind me. Of course, they've never made a mistake like this.

Friday holds two surprises. The first is George, knocking on the door as I'm writing Email to Mirjam; he's on the west side to look at garage doors but is in immediate need of breakfast.
"I was also thinking of wading on the beach."
"Sounds good to me." Body surfing is better on a rising tide, at least once it's high enough to cover the low-tide bars. We head for Joe's Diner and banana-walnut pancakes. This is one of the few places that does know how to make pancakes.
"Well, I should be responsible and get over to that garage door place." He drives up the hill back toward my place. I'm disappointed, but I can always walk back. Then he stops, right there in the middle of the street.
"What am I thinking?" Cars go around us. "Do you want to go wading?"
"I was anticipating it." He has been badly distracted ever since buying the house.
He gives the wheel a hard right spin and heads down the hill and back toward the beach. "We need to keep our priorities straight."
"Yes."

This is the day's second surprise: a cool breeze and boisterous water. The tide is still somewhat low, so the waves wall up over the bars and then unload on top of any body surfer silly enough to be there. I take one and then play in the post-break foam. Good enough for me. George, being a stronger swimmer, is out there in the rough stuff.

We walk south, splashing. I pick up wet sand, make balls, and toss them. They make interesting sounds and splatters of sand when they hit. The day sparkles, growing warmer, but clouds come along to attenuate the sunshine.

Back home, the decision is easier. The simple way. George charges away for the second time. He's in search of the Holy Grail, I mean a cellular phone that works. I put a few tools into my pack. Water too, and a camera, and then I pick up the skateboard.

Build number: 02M-3 (all free-pile)
Title: none
Date: September 6
Location: Venice Breakwater, south side littoral
Start: 1300; approx 3 hours building time
Height, Unit A: 3 ft; Unit B: 1.8 ft
Base: A, 1.5 feet near circular; B, 1 ft X 3.25 ft.
Helpers: none
Photo 35mm: approx 15 exp Tmax 100 (EI80) w/LX and 28-135 zoom
Photo 6X7: none
Photo volunteer: Bob Jeffords
Video motion: none
Video still: none
Video volunteer: walkaround and stills by Larry Dudock
New Equipment: none

It may appear to be the same beach, but everything has changed. Very high tides produced under the new moon have dragged the sand into new contours; the site where Larry built his sculpture is now eroded completely away. Wednesday's fine sand has been taken away, replaced by coarser sand that can remain in place better in the strong high-tide currents.

The sea gives and the sea takes away. The fine sand may be missing, but what's left is good enough and relatively free of shells and rocks. This aspect may be more important than absolute sand quality for free-pile sculpture.

Siting a free-pile is an exercise in compromise. Higher on the beach allows more time, but means the borrow pit has to be deeper and water flows into it more slowly. Lower borrow pits fill faster, but the tide takes the sculpture sooner and the initial building is more difficult because of the wet beach. Take your choice and start digging.

Sheets of cloud with glowing pearly edges flow out of the northwest. To the southwest is a big knot of what looks like rain; as the afternoon progresses, I build steadily and a few flying raindrops hit me. A promise of things to come? I hope so.

I haven't made many multi-part sculptures, and those few have always used forms for the piliing. I like the multiple idea. Why not try it for free-piling? I stop building the first pile when it's about three feet tall, a monolithic frustum, and start a second pile about a foot away. This one is long and low, a rough arc topped with a short tower that widens toward the top.

How do I relate these two very different piles? Worry about that later. Right now I have a vision for the tall one.

Unfortunately the vision proves to be stronger than the sculpture. Free-piled sand isn't so well packed, and the ball's north side ends up being too thin; when I start rubbing away loose sand on top, the gentle touch is too much and it collapses. What's left isn't very attractive. Vision is important and in this case I wanted a derivation from last Wednesday's round-top sculpture, with more internal structure. That part was going well, but didn't leave enough sand to hold it up. It was also dry; I didn't bring the sprayer. I abandon it and turn to the second pile.

This also doesn't show much promise. It's short, blocky. Well, can I accentuate that, maybe combine that with some flowing sections?

Details make it happen. The first cut wasn't much to look at, but further refinement brings out some beauty.

The tide is still well down. I have tools, and there's daylight, and although I'm getting hungry I still have energy. Might as well see what I can do with the remnant of Unit A.

Being able to work while sitting down is a big help. The first step is to clear away the chunks that fell off and trim the broken edges down to solid sand. More futzing and hollowing, followed by detail work, produces a reasonably attractive piece.

Earthworks are the finishing touch. Hollows scooped out of the beach, to continue lines present in the above-ground works. Around the hollows I scatter loose sand to contrast with the sculpture's smooth surfaces.

What is it? Multiple? Free-pile? As I walk around after signing it I realize it's a multiple. Somewhat of a stretch, but true nonetheless. Later on, in an Email message, Mirjam supplies the idea that I just couldn't quite reach: "If there are two parts far enough from each other so see them as separate sculptures and still they have a relation, then it's a multiple."

Written September 7
Edited December 28