Dune Art

The dunes of the ocean or lakefront call to us.  They are bare and serene, freed from extraneous foliage and varying colors, pure in their form even as they change with the wind’s direction.  Dune art brings that sense of bright hues interposed against each other and mutability into our lives and whether the dune is from the beach or an inland desert, the effect is the same, that of stark contrast against the sky.  Why does this please us so?  Is it because nature is rarely so clear-cut?  Perhaps.  Nature generally offers a plethora of things to look at, and dunes’ simplistic shapes re-direct our thoughts inward because there is simplicity outward.  They might even be said to offer an aid to meditation, clearing our heads to what we need to do next in life.  

Dune art is rarely plain dunes, however.  There is some art of the rippling tracks of the wind which may make a pleasing geometric pattern, though most dune art features at least a touch of greenery in the form of springs of grass struggling to survive near the ocean’s salt spray or perhaps a stray bloom or two.  More likely to be found in dune art is some evidence of man’s presence, a meandering fence that has been worn down to gray wood by the elements, or a bright beach umbrella off in the distance, its easily recognizable shape sheltering unseen players near the ocean’s waves.  A more blatant indication of the relationship that man has with the sea and its shores is the lighthouse.  What a spectacle it makes as it swings its great lens to and fro, illuminating the sea for a great distance and then circling back again to the dunes.  If the setting is a foggy night, there is the added sensation of light struggling against the encroaching dark, bringing safety to mariners and beachcombers alike.  No one would enjoy running one’s ship aground, or stumbling in the dark, not when a lighthouse can offer safety.

Moving from the sea or lake far inland to the dry land desert, we see that dunes keep their allure just the same.  Some dunes are the whitest of the white sand type, such as the dunes in the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico.  Gypsum forms the dunes, drifting into surreal shapes as the hot desert winds blow them into infinitely diverse shapes.  Out here the ameliorating breeze coming off the water is not found, so the dunes heat up to near-incandescence and the wise person will travel at dusk or dawn, or even full darkness.  Your viewpoint at that time of night will be shaped by whether or not there is a moon and what phase it is in.  A thin crescent gives enough light to walk by if one is careful, but the brightness of a full moon seems almost like day.  The dunes shine silver, limned with sparkles, and the effect is magical.  Almost could we live out here fulltime, admiring the ever changing dunes.