Related Solstice link:
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~copyrght/image/solstice/sols191.html
article about SunSweep
THE PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD. SUNSWEEP: A VISIT ON THE SUMMER
SOLSTICE
JOHN D. NYSTUEN
Mail to author
nystuen@umich.edu
A recent visit to Campobello Island in Canada, off the coast of the
state of Maine, offered an opportunity to view the eastern element of sculptor
David Barr's Sunsweep: an arch (both physical and virtual) that celebrated
the U.S./Canadian
border with physical endpieces on Campobello and Point Roberts WA and
a physical keystone in Lake of the Woods, MN. The actual stone elements
are linked virtually in the mind along the border as the sun sweeps
from east to west--all are
aligned to astronomical events and access to all requires a border
crossing. Colleagues and I had worked with Barr in a number of ways
and that work was written about in an earlier number of Solstice (1991,
Number 1; a
direct link to that article). Indeed, as we noted,
"Sunlight and shadow, day and night, solstice and equinox, lunar and
solar
eclipse--all are astronomical events that
transform the surface of
the earth into an event focused on the contrast between
light and dark.
The diurnal dynamics of the sweeping edge of the darkness are a foundation
critical to the well-being of life on earth. Artistic
expressions are
numerous, ranging from Amish quilt patterns (``sunlight and
shadow") to
Indonesian shadow puppets. From a spatial standpoint, the mantle
of night
serves as a continuum linking disparate elements of the earth's surface;
it is a whole composed of unseen parts."
From that earlier scholarly vantage point, it was with great enthusiasm
that I went with friends and family to view the sculpture on the Summer
Solstice (4:40 a.m.) sunrise on June 21, 1996. The photographic record
below is a continuing tribute to the events surrounding this international
sculpture.
Information about SunSweep may be obtained at the Information Office
at the Park Entrance.
Click on the small images to see larger images.
SunSweep, Campobello International Park
Guidepost
A view from a distance of Ragged Point and SunSweep
A longer view of Ragged Point and SunSweep
On the SunSweep Trail; 1 km path from parking area to sculpture.
Farther along the trail
View from Ragged Point
View eastward from Campobello Island
Flags of the Campobello International Park
Bridge from U.S. Mainland to Campobello Island (Canadian).
FDR's cottage on the island
Arch is made of etched Canadian granite
"Sunrise at Campobello"
John D. Nystuen at the arch.
Rhonda Ryznar, Rich Rovner, Leslie Nystuen: members of the solstice
party.