The Essence of Belonging

By Elin Spring

There is a difference between being alone and feeling lonely. The pandemic’s prolonged isolation has made many of us long for family and friends but it has also triggered an unexpected side-effect: a return to meandering in the natural world. This communion offers perspective on a geologic scale, an effect at once humbling and comforting. Nature invites a grand sense of belonging – and through the reverent lens of Alexandra de Steiguer, “The Essence of Belonging,” her transporting exhibit at Pucker Gallery in Boston, on view through November 28^th, 2021.

“Shoals – Rock Pool 9” 2021, by Alexandra de Steiguer, courtesy of the artist and Pucker Gallery, Boston.

“Denizens 6, Ireland” 2021, by Alexandra de Steiguer, courtesy of the artist and Pucker Gallery, Boston.

For twenty-four winters, photographer Alexandra de Steiguer has served as caretaker on Star Island, one of the Isles of Shoals, located seven miles off the coast of southern Maine. Its harsh and rugged terrain is awash in spare beauty, ever-changing with the moody New England weather. Also displayed in this exhibit are photographs of sister territories in Scotland and Ireland, made during the summer months. De Steiguer has come to know this type of habitat as one would know an old friend, her receptivity sharpened to anticipate forces that bow the trees, tumult the seas and whisk the skies. Her stewardship of Star Island has made her such a companion to craggy inhabitants that, through her lens, they share the role observing inhabitants or “denizens,” the apt title of many of her images.

“Denizens 15” 2021, by Alexandra de Steiguer, courtesy of the artist and Pucker Gallery, Boston.

“Skyward 4” 2021, by Alexandra de Steiguer, courtesy of the artist and Pucker Gallery, Boston.

Using the expressive virtues of black and white film, de Steiguer maintains a minimalist sense of composition that complements the lyricism of the organic world. Her approach magnifies the worth of each subject, exposing detailed texture and flowing form in icy boulders and dancing clouds, waving grasses and tree trunks gnarled by pounding winds. With a variety of horizon-altering angles, de Steiguer plays with viewpoint and scale, invoking the grandeur of skyward rock formations as gracefully as she elicits dainty flowers. Her subjects appear to possess personalities and, to me, they all seem like portraits.

“Denizens 9, Ireland” 2021, by Alexandra de Steiguer, courtesy of the artist and Pucker Gallery, Boston.

“Three Pools of Sky” by Alexandra de Steiguer, courtesy of the artist and Pucker Gallery, Boston.

One of de Steiguer’s most enchanting achievements is how she portrays interacting forces of nature. “Three Pools of Sky” reflects the clouds, an angled sun transforms windows into mirrors in “Tree in Wind,” and limbs bend to prevailing winds in ”Denizens 8.”  And always, an incessant, invisible airstream commands the tenor of the sea, from inky opaque in “Denizens 15” to shining silver in “Shoals – Rock Pool 9.”

“Tree in Wind” 2021, by Alexandra de Steiguer, courtesy of the artist and Pucker Gallery, Boston.

“Denizens 8, Ireland” 2021, by Alexandra de Steiguer, courtesy of the artist and Pucker Gallery, Boston.

De Steiguer has written gorgeous day journals but none are included in this exhibit. Evocative as they are, her photographs render them superfluous. Her instinctive sensitivity and honed skills allow us to feel the auras of stillness and wind gusts, breathe the scent of salt, and catch the soothing rhythm of waves. De Steiguer’s photographs proclaim the essence of belonging in eloquent whispers.

Feature Image: “Shoals – House and Shed #3” 2003 by Alexandra de Steiguer, courtesy of the artist and Pucker Gallery, Boston.