Lost coast really was lost art

Wow, it has been almost 6 years since I traveled with a team to the Lost Coast in Northern California to create several installations.  The project, was part of a series of works that I call 'Lost Art.'  Sadly, the photographs and imagery from that expedition have in fact become lost art.  Life can be very busy sometimes, and it is now 2014 and I have yet to share any images of the wonderful installations that were built in October 2008.  This is going to change, and here is the start:

'Low Tide'-2008 Lost Coast, California-Installation View

Here is wonderful installation view of an installation named 'Low Tide.'  Built at low tide, this sculpture took the rising tide head on and did not fall until it was almost completely covered by water.  It was amazing.  I though that the first waves would knock the boulder off of it's stacked driftwood pedestal, but it was just too strong and too heavy.  Look soon, for a film that I am working on that covers the sculptures battle against the sea.  In the meantime, please check out my recently launched visual arts website at the link below:

CASANOVAFINEART.COM

Lost Art-Eastern Sierra Nevada

The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range located in California and Nevada that is over 400 miles in length and is the home to many tall peaks including Mount Whitney(14,505 feet), the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States. During the late summer month of August, I embarked on a multi-day trek into the heart of the eastern Sierra. The trip started outside of the town of Independence at a trail head named Onion Valley and finished over a week later at the top of Mount Whitney. The purpose of the trip was to create art works along the way, ephemeral installations, as part of my "Lost Art" series.

View from Forester Pass 13200 feet

Photographer: Christopher Casanova

Kings Canyon National Park, California

August 2011

My intention was to complete a piece everyday, however, due to foul weather and general exhaustion, I completed only two sculptures. I had grossly underestimated the Sierra Nevada mountains. The extreme altitudes and grueling climbs made it difficult to just survive.

"Forester" Installation View #1

Artist: Christopher Casanova

Kings Canyon National Park, California

Materials: Tree trunk and stones

August 2011

"Forester" Installation View #2-Sunset

Artist: Christopher Casanova

Kings Canyon National Park, California

Materials: Tree trunk and stones

August 2011

"Forester" Installation View #3-Silhouette

Artist: Christopher Casanova

Kings Canyon National Park, California

Materials: Tree trunk and stones

August 2011

My initial idea was to make sculptures that involved the setting or rising sun. Working with tools that estimated the exact position of the sun at sunrise and sunset, my plan was to construct installations with windows that would frame the rising or setting sun.

It was so beautiful and pure that at first, I had difficulty imaging what I could possibly construct. It was very important to me that what ever I made would indeed disappear on its own. These places can only be visited by foot or in some cases horse back, and are untouched by any thing but nature. I wanted to leave no trace and work with elements that were already in some state of erosion.

At the higher altitudes, above the tree line, I started to find these really beautiful sections of tree trunks, that were bleached by the sun. I gathered stones and built walls that incorporated these tree trunks. The end result were these sculptures with windows. I discovered that they were beautiful with full light, very interesting with the sun shining through the windows and provocative back lit seen as silhouettes. I was very happy with the results.

"Big Horn" Installation View #1

Artist: Christopher Casanova

Kings Canyon National Park, California

Materials: Tree trunk and stones

August 2011

"Big Horn" Installation View #2-Sunrise

Artist: Christopher Casanova

Kings Canyon National Park, California

Materials: Tree trunk and stones

August 2011

"Big Horn" Installation View #3-Silhouette

Artist: Christopher Casanova

Kings Canyon National Park, California

Materials: Tree trunk and stones

August 2011

Lost Art in the Lost Coast-Time Lapse Video

Lost Art

Lost Coast Project October 2008

Time Lapse Video

Artist:  Christopher Casanova

Lost Coast, Northern California

This 6 min and 30 second video is a making of video shot during the completion of 4 sculptures in the Lost Coast in Northern California.   This video kind of ruins the mystery surrounding the finished work, but I think it is very interesting and worth the sacrifice.

The Lost Coast Project took place in October 2008 and is part of a series of similar work that the artist calls "Lost Art."  There is still a lot more to see of the Lost Art series, but this should be a nice little taste.

Lost Art in the Lost Coast-Continued

"Buck Creek" Installation View

Artist:  Christopher Casanova

Lost Coast, California 

Solo Trip 2008

I was visiting El Capitan state beach, just north of Santa Barbara and I started to build models of a sculpture that I wanted to build.  I found small little lengths of driftwood sticks and arranged them in "Lincoln Log Cabin" like stacks.  Then I placed a stone on top.  I was amazed that even in such a small scale, the structure was able to support  a tremendous amount of weight.  The stone practically floated.

This was the starting point for the Lost Art sculpture series.  The installation at Buck Creek  was the first work of the series.  It was built at the mouth of a creek in the Lost Coast about 11 miles north of Shelter cove, the last bit of civilization in the area.  I made a solo trip to the area and hiked for two days to reach the site.  Using fallen timbers and large pieces of driftwood, I fashioned a lifting gantry in the form of a pyramid.  With the aid of the gantry, rope and pulleys I lifted the stone into the air. After arranging the driftwood support , I lowered the boulder.  It was a bit of trick to get everything lined up correctly. Once the boulder was in position, the weight settled and the installation was complete.  I disassembled the gantry and walked away.  The installation survived 4 days, until an eight foot high tide took it down in the night. 

Lost Art in the Lost Coast-part one

This year I have made two trips to the Lost Coast in Northern California- one solo trip and another with a team of five.  My visits have been for the sole purpose of building sculptures on the coast as part of a series of recent work that I am calling "Lost Art."  I am in the process of preparing an exhibition of the photography of the sculptures, that were themselves torn down by the incoming high tides.  

 

The Lost Coast,  Northern California

Viewed from the south

Photo taken by Christopher Casanova

The Lost Coast is a protected mountainous coastal area in Northern California about 3 hours north of San Francisco.  Extremely powerful surf and weather push the natural environment in this 60-mile stretch of forgotten coastline to high levels of growth and erosion.  There are no roads.  

"South of Shipman's"  Installation in progress

Artist: Christopher Casanova

Lost Coast, Northern California  October 2008

Photo taken by Gaston Pierre

The sculptures consist of very large boulders that are hoisted into the air and then lower on to fragile structures made out of driftwood sticks.