Art Drop #9: Visiting the Edge of the World

Piermont, NY and the Hudson River cloaked in thick fog.

On a foggy morning, I dropped our daughter off at school and decided to keep going north to Piermont, NY. Having been there a few times I knew what to expect (pier, marsh, river, bridge) and my original intention was to see how the Tappan Zee Bridge looked in the fog. I thought there would probably be a dramatic view of it disappearing into the void. Here’s the lay of the land:

Thank you Google for your excellent maps.

Walking out onto the pier at Piermont I soon realized the bridge would not be a viable subject. Quite simply, there was no bridge. This is the widest part of the Hudson River (a strange place to build a bridge perhaps?) and the thick soup of fog here was intense and enveloping. I could barely see more than a hundred feet in front of me. Only the train horns from the Metro North line across the river told me there was some land beyond the abyss.

Fog on the Hudson, like a seamless backdrop. Photograph by Tom Bland.

It was a strange, unusual feeling not being able to see what lies beyond, like being at the edge of the world. You would be justified in thinking, but it’s just fog, that’s what fog is like – but being on a pier in thick fog is quite a unique experience. You’re protruding out into the ether, separated from the mainland, surrounded by only water. My mind involuntarily drifted to Terry Jones’ children’s book The Saga of Erik the Viking that I enjoyed as a young lad and featured amazing and memorable illustrations by Michael Foreman. The edge of the world (or, ‘where the sun goes at night’) is a key element of that story.

Here in Piermont, instead of Vikings being fearful of what happens when their longship goes over the edge I was thinking about what the drivers on the Tappan Zee Bridge were experiencing – was it something beautiful and ethereal, or perhaps unnerving for them driving into the nothingness for several miles, raised up above the water? I wish I’d been able to see for myself.

THE MARSH & THE PIER

I decided to backtrack to a scene I saw on my approach to the pier. Piermont Marsh lies to the south of the pier and hugs the edge of the Hudson. On this still and silent day I had a serious urge to be in a small rowing boat gliding through the winding waterways with my camera, but nevertheless the view south from Paradise Avenue was a special one. For twenty serene minutes I was able to observe the shifting opacity of the fog, and how the ripples on the water from ducks landing on the surface settled into something like frosted glass. The ducks kept coming and going, and therefore so did the ripples.

As the fog eased up I headed back to the pier and spent some time on the water’s edge. I exchanged pleasantries with another photographer and mentioned my edge-of-the-world observation – for a moment I could see the wheels turning in his mind and he then enthusiastically agreed. The Tappan Zee Bridge was now just visible to the north, but I mostly stayed on the south side of the pier looking back towards the marsh.

The little there was to see of the Tappan Zee Bridge. Photograph by Tom Bland.

ART DROP #9

We are releasing two of my photographs from Piermont for Art Drop #9, one from each vantage point. From the marsh, I selected what I have titled for now as Piermont Marsh, Diffused. Between the still surface of the water, the diffused reflections and the subtleties of the fog there is an undulating form that for me, recalls the visual representation of audio waves. Do you see it too?

Piermont Marsh, Diffused by Tom Bland.

From the pier we have Reeds in the Hudson. I chose this photograph because it illustrates both what the fog was like when I originally arrived (the left half of the frame) and how it eased over time – the horizon visible on the right is the edge of the marsh to the south. All geographical context – the cliffs of the Palisades, the aura of the metropolis of New York City, the course of the river – remains invisible in this photograph. As much as I love minimalism, the dense fog you can see on the left was like shooting against a seamless. Having a partially revealed horizon grounds this photograph for me.

Reeds in the Hudson by Tom Bland.

To learn more about the artwork options and how our prints are created visit the art drop on our website. Prints are only available of Piermont Marsh, Diffused and Reeds in the Hudson until February 7, 2024, with no further production of this work for at least a year after the close.

Piermont Marsh, Diffused and Reeds in the Hudson by Tom Bland.

Look out for a follow-up post from us next week. We’re thinking of returning to Piermont together, most likely in different weather conditions to see the area in a new way, to see what was erased by the fog. We’ll let you know what we find.

Bye for now,

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