Sandy Long’s digital exhibit Portal of Place will illuminate the 12-foot screen at DENiZEN, in Barryville, NY on Friday and Saturday, October 7 and 8, 2016. The show is an exploration of the interplay between human nature and the natural world. It is free and open to the public.
Sandy is Co-Founder of Heron’s Eye Communications. DENiZEN is a new studio space at 3512 Route 97 hosted by artist Pat Carullo.
An opening reception will take place on Friday, October 7, from 6 to 8 pm. The studio will also be open on Saturday, October 8, from 10 am to 5 pm.
Visitors can stop by Portal of Place on their way to or from Barryville’s annual Pumpkin Fest on October 8.
What is Portal of Place?
Images from Pennsylvania and New York will scroll across the screen in combination with Sandy’s spoken-word recordings, creating the opportunity for a dream-like engagement with the flora, fauna, landscapes and waterscapes of the region.
Whispering Leaves.
“Photography is the portal through which I gain deeper understanding of a personal vision influenced by the natural world, particularly in relation to my ongoing interface with this place,” says Sandy.
The public is invited to ponder the role that humans play as we embrace or relinquish our opportunities to coexist with other life forms here — shadowed hemlock groves lining the ridges; the doe and fawn sipping at water’s edge; a black bear peering from a forested fringe; a great blue heron feeding in the shallows; bald eagles soaring over the open channel; eels, fish and lamprey — each living their lives in or near the river and its surrounds.
“The Delaware River is the lifeblood of the region,” says Sandy. “It enlivens one’s senses and has stirred stewardship, awakened activism, divided and brought together individuals and communities over issues that, like the waterway itself, change over time. But always the river flows, invites reflection and rewards us with the gifts of its endless riches.
“The region’s natural resources are deserving of our stewardship. I hope these images stir consideration of our inter-connectedness with this special place. How might we nurture it beyond our lifetimes?”
Watch a Video Featuring a Selection of Sandy’s Photos Accompanied by Three Poems
Photographer of Place
Purple Finch.
Sandy is the photographer behind the social media series #WonderWatch featuring images of natural wonder collected throughout the Upper Delaware region. Her writing targets environmental, cultural and community issues.
In September 2014, Sandy was selected as the first Artist-in-Residence at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. In November 2015, she served as Artist-in-Residence at the Delaware Highlands Conservancy’s Lemons Brook Farm in Bethel, New York. In each residency, and in her work here, Sandy has focused on the wild beauty and artful nature of place.
DENiZEN
“There is a beautiful ancient saying — consciousness sleeps in the stone, dreams in the plant, awakens in the animal, and awakens to itself in the human,” explains Carullo. “The dictionary defines the word ‘denizen’ as ‘an inhabitant of a particular place.’ And we here (humans, animals, plants, stone and water) all flow together to create a place of sublime natural beauty.… our beloved river home.”
The DENiZEN studio is offline, unplugged and disconnected [no webs, no cells, no clouds, no bars, no nets on site]. If you are unable to visit during regularly scheduled hours, email Pat Carullo to arrange a private viewing of Portal of Place at a time that is convenient for you.
[Photos © Sandy Long]
