Menemsha Hills – Consenses Walks

Silver BushPhotograph by Michael Zide

Walking back with my two dog companions, we climbed a path that took us along the overhanging cliff that parallels the beach. In the brooding light, the bleached wood of the worn scrubby brush caught my eye. Whether writhing in pain or dancing in ecstasy, its twisted branches seemed to continue animating its dead form, resembling an undersea creature caught in the moving currents, denying it the chance to find a peaceful resting place.

Artist

Michael Zide It was sunrise in Southern California, January 11, 1949. Something drew me to the bedroom window. I looked out to the front yard and for miles beyond. The familiar scene of my childhood was gone. Our front lawn with its towering evergreen tree, the vacant lot down the hill and the boulevard leading to Griffith Part were luminous. My world, where the landscape had been a constant was transformed -covered now in a pure white blanket of what appeared to my five year old eyes to be diamond dust. It was a scene beyond my comprehension and my response was visceral. That moment is as immediate to me now as it was decades ago. My wife summed up the journey that followed perfectly. “That first snowfall set in motion both the search for a view of equal enchantment, as well as a visual memory in search of meaning.” Establishing a point of view or personal vision is at the core of my work n landscape photography. Oscar Wilde said of another medium, “Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.” Each walk on the beach or into the forest is an opportunity to get in touch with the landscape in front of the lens and the landscape within. For an image to speak clearly, the photographer must have something to say. Beyond that, there is always an element of change, being present at the right moment as the light reveals form that strokes a chord of recognition. From that point on, intuition and experience take over. Why black and white? Black and white photography lays open the bones of the image. It’s direct and to the point. Time and place are always present in the image. I photograph where I live because it’s what I know and it’s accessible. Everything changes with time, including the way I see. I revisit many locations over the seasons and over the years, hopeful that I can get out of my own way, and truly “listen with my eyes.”

Location

Menemsha Hills Trail9783+HF Chilmark, MA, USA Open in Google Maps › Open in Apple Maps ›

What do you See?

PuckerbrushSong by Carly Simon

The first emotion I felt from the photo I interpreted [from stop 1] was anger and fear which emanated from the wiry hair-like puckerbrush. But then I noticed the subtle fog and clouds in the background which gave me a feeling of faith. I felt like God might somehow suddenly appear on the scene to save me from my fear. A narrative emerged. I imagined the image might have been captured beside a railroad track where nothing would grow. It reminded me of one time as a teenager when I accidentally took an express train out to the Bronx and it brought me all the way out to 125th Street in New York City by accident. I had to walk under a railway bridge to get to the other side of the track where I could head back. I was so scared. It was winter and so dark. I was afraid I was going to step on “the third rail” or that something terrifying would jump out at me on the other side of the overpass. The lyric “Life is angry, life is holy in the puckerbrush,” comes from my initial fear of the photo. The backing “I can only be heard by the silence,” is the fog that might deliver salvation.

Artist

Carly Simon Born in New York City, Carly Simon won her first of three Grammy for Best New Artist in 1971. Carly’s first hit single, “You’re So Vain,” was released in 1973. Years later, “Let the River Run” (1988) won Carly her third Grammy and first Oscar. She was later inspired by her experiences as a mother to record a Grammy winning children’s album and, in 1989 with the publication of Amy the Dancing Bear, to become a children’s author. Since then, she’s published several more titles, and released several albums, including 2008’s This Kind of Love.

Location

Menemsha Hills Trail9792+VF Chilmark, MA, USA Open in Google Maps › Open in Apple Maps ›

What do you Hear?

UntitledPainting by Doug Kent

The song I interpreted [from stop 2] sounded like an English Celtic tune at first. I liked it. It would have been hard for me to create at all if I didn’t like it. I wanted to hear more of it. It’s very short. If I had to sum it up I’d say the song was haunted and full of mysterious movement. The word “Puckerbrush” reminded me of my younger days in the 1960s when we: James Taylor, Kingman Brewster, Jim Hull, and a bunch of our houses back then, were all connected through these dirt, unpaved, puckerbrush-lined roads. We’d ride our motorcycles or horses up to each other’s houses to hang. I haven’t heard the word Puckerbrush since then. I was living in a place off Lambert’s Cove Road at the time and raising goats in my basement. When I made this drawing I left the song on repeat and the music fed me. This drawing is what came out. When I’m drawing as opposed to painting, I just let the work come directly through me onto the page without a plan. In this case, the song spoke through me to the page. I was just the filter.

Artist

Doug Kent Doug Kent has been living and working on the island of Martha’s Vineyard for over thirty years. Originally informed by Surrealists, the German Expressionists and American Painters of the early 20th century. Doug found inspiration for his continually evolving and evocative art from the intensely beautiful landscapes surrounding him. In recent years, Doug developed an innovative technique that combines watercolor and acrylics on unique surfaces like wood and iron. Doug has exhibited in galleries in Massachusetts, New York, San Francisco and Tokyo. His work resides in collections as far afield as Singapore, Australia, Japan, Europe, and Latin America.

Location

Menemsha Hills, Brick Yard97G4+J9 Chilmark, MA, USA Open in Google Maps › Open in Apple Maps ›

What do you See?

With Eyes OpenedTea by Stacy Lim

As an interpretation of the painting in stop 3, Stacy created a tea blend called ‘With Open Eyes,’ which pairs a premium Hangzhou Dragon Well with the flavor of freshly picked strawberries, soothing ginger, and subtle buttery toffee. The chestnut, damp moss, and marine notes of the Hangzhou Dragon Well mingle with and complement the strawberry, ginger, and toffee notes.

I meditated after seeing this painting and what came to me was a story about these characters I named “Tiger God” and “The Fish Woman.” The Fish Woman is looking forward into the future where there are no boundaries, the sky’s the limit and she’s literally coming out of her shell to signify she is no longer stuck in the past. The Tiger God faces backward into the past and looks over his shoulder at her in judgment and condemnation. He is literally cloaked in tradition, secretive, stuck in the past, and in fear. To tell this story through my tea I chose a strawberry ginger toffee blend with a dragonwell base. Dragonwell represents the Tiger God. It is one of the oldest most traditional teas. It’s got a crisp sea-like taste to it and it’s light enough not to drag down the hope of the Fish woman which I represented with strawberry and wanted to be the overriding flavor. The toffee represents new directions and is the last flavor you taste.

Description Of Olfactory: I thought “How am I going to turn this painting into a tea?” I settled on a strawberry ginger toffee blend with a dragonwell base. I chose dragonwell because it’s one of the oldest teas and therefore, traditional. It’s got a crisp sea-like taste to it. It is lighter in flavor so that the hope (represented by the strawberry) can ride the flavor and not be dragged down by the traditional heavy past. I used ginger cause it’s old and global. The strawberry provides hope and knowledge that there is a good future ahead so I wanted that to be the most dominant flavor. The toffee represents new directions and is the last flavor you can taste.

Artist

Stacy Lim Stacy Lim earned her Masters of Business Administration with a specialization in finance from Rider University, which helped her turn her love of tea into a career. She founded, owns, and operates Butiki Teas, a successful luxury tea company that focuses on high quality, unique, and rare teas. Tea blends are created with a focus on marrying the natural flavors of the tea with interesting and fun flavors. Some of the creative teas include Potato Pancakes & Applesauce, Pistachio Ice Cream, Champagne & Rose Cream, and Rhubarb Vanilla Ale. For Consenses, Stacy created ‘With Open Eyes’. With Open Eyes pairs a premium Hangzhou Dragon Well with the flavor of fresh picked strawberries, soothing ginger, and subtle buttery toffee. The chestnut, damp moss, and marine notes of the Hangzhou Dragon Well mingle with and compliment the strawberry, ginger, and toffee notes.

Location

Menemsha Hills96CW+WQ Chilmark, MA, USA Open in Google Maps › Open in Apple Maps ›

What do you Taste?

The Man Who VanishedCharacter and Plot by Wes Craven

Sally’s Interview with Wes about his process creating this character sketch in reaction to the tea from stop 4:

Sally: Without tasting the tea, what do you remember about it?

Wes: Dry, grass-like.

Sally: If you had to choose one word to sum up the tea what would it be?

Wes: Foreboding.

Sally: What emotion did it elicit?

Wes: Longing for a sweeter day.

Sally: Take me through your process a little (from getting the tea to your creation or anything you want to share).

Wes: Got the tea. Knew I should drink it right away. Procrastinated. Hated myself for procrastinating. Finally drank it during the Christmas Holidays, always a dreadful time for me. Reminded me of burlap, which reminded me of a time long ago. Began writing without censoring, always dangerous. Pushed send before I could self-redact.

Sally: What did you title your work and why?

Wes: Something about vanishing, can’t remember. That’s what I wanted to do at the time.

Sally: What part of your work came to you first?

Wes: Too dark to say.

Sally: How do you normally create? How was this experience different?

Wes: There isn’t a single thing that’s normal about the way I create. I don’t know where it comes from, and if it can’t be more predictable, I’d prefer it stayed away. But it won’t. Nor will it be predictable. It laughs at me when I say that to it. It’s like a cat, only a lot bigger.

Sally: Are there certain choices you made that mean something specific to you that the observer might not know?

Wes: Yes, and by god the observer isn’t going to be told what those things are.

Sally: Did you enjoy this project? or is there more you want to say about your experience?

Wes: I prefer eating glass, but I was happy to do it for you. I was brought up on a steady diet of broken glass, and if I’m without it for more than a few days, I get cranky.

Artist

Wes Craven Born on August 2, 1939, in Cleveland, Ohio, Wes Craven went on to direct horror films like Last House on the Left, The Hills Have Eyes and Swamp Thing before helming the infamous Nightmare on Elm Street. He scored another major hit with SCREAM, which sparked the phenomenal trilogy and was the winner of MTV’s 1996 Best Movie Award and grossed more than $100 million domestically, as did SCREAM 2 (1997). Craven has also directed the school drama Music of the Heart and thriller Red Eye, and done TV work.

Location

Menemsha Hills969W+C3 Chilmark, MA, USA Open in Google Maps › Open in Apple Maps ›

What do you See?

Take a Walk Around Menemsha Hills