Susan Meyer’s solo photography exhibition, Seaside, runs from June 29-August 30, 2022 at the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library’s second floor gallery. The exhibition is part of Saratoga Arts’ Art in Public Places program.

Artist Statement

We sit together, the ocean and me, until only the ocean remains. -Li Po

After my mother died, I began visiting the seashore as much as possible, to receive its wisdom and to be held by the ocean landscape, which was enormous enough to absorb whatever I brought to it. The ocean has been a steadfast refuge for me in times of suffering and uncertainty and is a metaphor I draw upon as a mindfulness meditation teacher. Spending time seaside assures me that something is intact, rhythmic, and predictable even in the face of great upheaval.

These images span the Eastern Seaboard, from Maine to Florida. Most of them were made in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

The more I visited the sea, the more I noticed. Certain images stopped me in my tracks, filled me with awe and wonder, and left me befuddled as to why I hadn’t noticed before what suddenly had become so apparent. I believe the images that captivate our attention—that we see when we are ready to see them—are part of a greater story, language, pattern, or blueprint that connects us all.

With mindful awareness, we can hold it all, like the ocean holds the waves, and experience ourselves as far greater than any circumstance we encounter. We can dive below the churning surface and connect with the tranquility and spaciousness that serves as a home base from which we can resource our life. Through practice, we can learn to identify with the ocean instead of the waves that come and go, and to see more deeply, with greater perspective.

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