In the early twentieth century, Anne Brigman became one of the premier photographers of her time. The subject of most of her work was the female form in harmony with nature, specifically, the twisted trees and mountain-scapes of the Sierra Nevada range. Some of her most famous pieces were taken in and around Donner Lake. Recently, I learned the Nevada Museum of Art in partnership with the Trails & Vistas organization were organizing an "art hike" in celebration of Mrs. Brigman's work. While I admit being unfamiliar with her work until very recently, the idea of an art hike intrigued me and I decided to see what it was all about.
Arriving at the Donner Ski Ranch a few minutes before the start of the hike, I checked in and began chatting with others also waiting for our hike. It was a fairly diverse group in terms of age, from a mother with her young son to several apparent retirees. As our guides spoke a bit about what to expect along our two or so mile trek, our curiosity only intensified.
The spiel was short and we quickly departed into the granite hills above the ranch.
The views were already amazing, as we looked out over Donner Lake to the east and toward Mount Judah and Donner Peak to the west. We quickly came upon our first performance. A woman sat on a rock and read a few stanzas of nature-focused poetry while playing a sort of percussion instrument, which was composed of a couple of stretched skins over a thin cylinder (much like a native american hand drum filled with seeds or husks). From behind a couple of nearby rocks and boulders a pair of dancers, suddenly appeared and began moving and undulating with the wind in harmony with the landscape. After the short performance, we silently moved on through the forest to our next stop.
The group approached a nearly dry creek bed and in seated in a rock on the far side, a woman dressed in a earth tone robe began to sing while playing a sitar-like instrument. Her voice in conjunction with the haunting sounds of the strings creates an amazing ambiance and a very enjoyable and reflective experience in such a beautiful location.
As we continue through the forest, our guides take turns reciting poems at various stops. In addition, we encounter several other performers along the way, including talented dancers and musicians. The entire experience has the feel of a Midsummer Night's Dream, with druids, dryads, and nymphs. In the past, I have often thought that modern humans always seem out of place in nature. This art hike has unexpectedly made me reconsider that position. Perhaps true to the composition of Anne Brigman's pieces, the performers not only seem to blend in with the gorgeous vistas of the surrounding landscape, they seem to enhance it, which I wouldn't have thought possible.
The final performance is by a harpist sitting in a stand of pinyon pines. The harp seems somehow perfectly at home in this natural landscape. As the artist finishes her piece, a bird begins to sing, as if on queue. The timing couldn't have been more perfect and it was the perfect explanation point to a perfect experience. I'm very glad I made time to learn what the museum meant by an "art hike".
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