Chairs in Surf. (Big Sur, CA)

I’m originally from Cleveland OH and I grew up with Lake Erie at the end of my street, so I’m used to seeing huge expanses of water. When I first moved near the ocean, I thought it would be similar. But I was immediately struck by a natural phenomenon that ended up influencing a number of subsequent projects - the changing tides. Of course I knew that tides existed but it was another thing to be there in person and experience this huge, daily, physical event: the shifting of such an enormous amount of water. I became fascinated with how the changing water levels would conceal and reveal the land.

The ocean shore is a dynamic and rich location geologically and biologically, (and at the time I was studying these coastal processes from a scientific perspective, in addition to creative work in the studio). I also saw this zone as quite rich metaphorically and psychologically.

One of the first gestures I did was to bring 3 chairs from my studio to the shore. I wanted to see how it looked and felt to place these chairs in the ocean. The surf was rough that day in Big Sur and in between the huge, sweeping waves I ran out and placed the chairs. I took photos, and at times I waded out to grab them back so they wouldn’t be swept out to sea.

How did it feel? It felt energizing and also a bit dangerous. Here were the humble studio chairs I’d been using for years, (that I had just been sitting on that morning), in contrast with the overwhelming scale and power of ocean. I felt like this action and juxtaposition put things into perspective: my indoor, private life and creative work slammed up against the immensity of nature. In the end, I took the chairs back to my studio, crusted with salt, and put them back into normal use. I felt that they’d been infused with a new energy. They brought a bit of magic back into the studio. This experiment led to thinking about making a sculpture specifically for this zone, and to a number of subsequent projects: Tide Bed, House, Tide Fountains, etc.