BEACH TREASURE
Collection of found objects, stones, bottle tops, sea glass, oyster shells, bricks, cement, tile, twigs, aluminum, Mazatlan, Mexico, 2024
BEACH WALKING
BEACH WALKING inspired this project.
Witnessing the changes over time on a stretch of beach in my neighbourhood I now consider more deeply the relationship between the ocean and the urban.
Through the repetitive action of collecting objects, ideas about the stewardship of our oceans and in particular the shoreline surfaced.. I became interested in how time and the forces of nature impacted the objects left behind uncovering a trace of this particular time of condominium over-development in Mazatlan.
THE TIDELINE
One walk in particular became the catalyst for this project when the winds, waves and sand deposited an undulating line of debris down the shore. The tideline was a mixture of color and varied textures made of broken bits of garbage, styrofoam, plastics and tiny shells.
It was shocking, disgusting and beautiful at the same time. It appealed to my drawing and collage sensibilities but also angered me.
In general, on my walks I pick up objects that are different from the typical shellsthat most tourists take home as souvenirs. I look for the unusual, the things that should not be there but are. I am interested in textures and worn-weathered surfaces shaped by the continuous action of the surf and sand.
They are often pieces of construction material such as brick or cement that have lost their shape so much as to resemble rock. Some of the materials I find still have layers of paint attached creating a palimpsest of colour and texture, an image as its own abstract design.
THE OBJECTS
I collect objects left behind by beach seekers. Fragments of glass bottles rounded into sea glass are relatively common, beer bottle metal tops encrusted with rust and sand are usually found on higher ground.
The rare finds are the bases of aluminum cans that resemble the shape and sheen of an oyster shell. I like that there are similarities between the two, that one carries characteristics of the other.
Once I found a waterlogged twig. I have not found another since. It was an 'aha' moment for me though. I knew after close inspection it was from a plant but the tendrils looked so much like electrical wire. How could something look so much like something else?
THE LANDSCAPE
To me collecting the pieces from the beach is not meant to clean up what others have not. These objects are beautiful to me. They are rare finds dependent on chance. They are an opportunity for me to connect to 'place' while walking a familiar and loved landscape. They are remnants of our current predicament of development fueled by tourism. They are visual representations of the battle between the forces of nature and urban progress. I hope that this project gives us a different way to look at the landscapes that we so often take for granted.
INSTALLATION IDEAS
I continue to collect on my walks but also to organize the work once I am back in the studio. Currently, I am exploring ways to exhibit the work as a gallery installation.
OUR BEACH
The beach near where we live in Mazatlan I like to call "our beach" but in fact it is a public beach open to everyone, shared by tourists, snowbirds, locals and beach vendors throughout the year. We live close by on one of the few pedestrian access roads that connects the main commercial road Sabalo Camaron to the ocean. When the property was purchased by my husband’s grandfather in 1973 there was very little development in the area. Our street had a handful of homes, two of these had ocean views, the others were located behind. Across the street was a three story walk-up hotel then named The Bougainvillaea for its stunning display of flowers on their terrace.
I love to walk and the beach just outside my front door is perfect for such an activity. The shoreline is flat, the sand compacted and the waves tempered. The three large islands off the coast have created a partially protected beach from the typically more aggressive waves of the Pacific Ocean. 'Our beach ' stretches to my right towards El Cid, one of the original resorts and south towards Valentinos, a landmark building perched on a rock outcrop. Timing my walks revolves around the tides. At high tide the water comes right up to the buildings breakwater walls and during low tide the water retreats leaving a grand expanse of glistening sand. Sometimes, I am wading through water and others checking out the many exposed crab holes.
For the past five years the city has experienced a building boom. The new suspension bridge and road connecting Durango to Mazatlan created an untapped market for the tourist industry. The Golden Zone suddenly became a very accessible beach vacation location for nationals. Mexicans flock to the city now that the drive time is drastically reduced. Then post-pandemic travel hit, filling the city to capacity. On 'our beach' alone there have been three new hotels, many high-rise condo developments, a multitude of hotel renovations as well as upgrades to the sea walls. Building construction is constant and continues altering the skyline along the malecon from Olas Altas all the way past Cerritos Beach.
