Longboat Key beach art grows and changes daily

From the earth it came, and to the earth it will return. 

Every year for the last several, Longboat Key beachfront resident Bob Dreyfus gathers materials from the beaches of the island and slowly creates an earthwork installation usually consisting of spirals and swirls. He gathers and carefully places shells and other beach detritus in the sand until he has a large installation. He has worked on this year’s version for nearly two months, and with the time freed up due to the coronavirus and stay-at-home order, it’s gotten bigger than usual. 

“Some years are real big, and some years, they're not so big,” Dreyfus said. “This year, it was very big, and I've maintained a big portion and started another portion because we've been cloistered here and in the house for about 40 days.”

There is no blueprint for Dreyfus’ massive artwork, which he sometimes refers to as his Zen garden. He likes swirls, spirals and symmetry, so if he does something on one side, it will likely show up in the other direction. 

“Mostly this design is intuitive,” Dreyfus said. “People say to me, ‘What does it mean?’ And I say, ‘It’s just sort of Zen-like.’”

The creation of the spirals is calming to Dreyfus, who listens to audiobooks or podcasts while he works. Lately, he’s enjoyed the podcast “Astonishing Legends,” and recently finished the book “The Tao of Physics,” which explores the themes of modern physics and Eastern mysticism. 

“I've been doing this for a while, so it's a real treat for me,” Dreyfus said. “It's a way to get out, it's a way to meet people and it's a way to be creative.”

Usually people respect the installation, Dreyfus said, and don’t add to or take from it. He enjoys striking up conversations with those who walk by, especially now that loneliness is a part of daily life. People will take photos or chat with the artist, who appreciates the connection. 

“It turns out that it's a great icebreaker for me to meet a lot of people, which, I’m a pretty social animal anyway, so it's fun,” Dreyfus said. 

Every object in the installation is found — none are brought in off the beach. Shells, stones, sea glass, bits of trash, old toys are all picked up from the sand and cleaned off before being placed gently back into the sand. 

“I've been able to fully concentrate on the on the beach installation, and I'll get out there like 8:30 in the morning to go off, collect, clean, put down and I could be there till 4:30, 5 o’clock,” Dreyfus said. 

The large piece started with sea-worn ropes that threaded the insides and outsides of the original spirals, but those were taken from the installation. There are animal bones as well, including some very light bones that Dreyfus thinks are from birds. 

“I walk the beach and look for shells and other items that catch my eye,” Dreyfus said. “Sometimes people will leave me a little gift. Somebody left, a couple of weeks ago, what I’m assuming is half the jaw of a sea turtle.” 

The only things that Dreyfus didn’t pick up on his walks are the massive driftwood stakes. Those he got from Greer Island and drove home. The largest one, the centerpiece which towers above the rest despite being buried about two feet into the earth, stuck out either side of Dreyfus’ car as he made the short drive home. 

The installation is meant to coexist with nature, so Dreyfus is unconcerned about how the elements could affect it. In last week’s rainstorm, he said a lot of the shells got packed down into the sand a little more, and he just went in with a brush to maintain the tiny details. 

“Sometimes if a wind blows a certain way, it covers over the whole piece, so I have to go in and sort of maintain it,” Dreyfus said. 

Dreyfus’ spirals call to mind Robert Smithson’s famous work “Spiral Jetty,” a great, spiraling earthwork piece that stays anchored to its site, never to be moved to a museum. Dreyfus’ pieces are similar, staying anchored to their spot until the elements or turtle season force them to return to the sand. 

“People say, ‘What if a storm comes and washes it away?’” Dreyfus said. “Then I’ll just start working on another.” 

The installation in all its glory will come to an end as turtle season starts. On May 1, Dreyfus will take down the obstructive stakes of driftwood to comply with the town’s turtle guidelines, which dictate that obstructions like beach chairs — or driftwood poles — must be moved off the beach to allow for easy turtle movement.