Art can propel us to far-flung global locales, out into the cosmos, or deep into mystic scenery conjured by the human mind and heart. But amid an era of accelerating environmental mayhem, it may be that our most important artworks are those that can root people more effectively smack dab in the places we live.
Bay Area dwellers are blessed to have two new books that help accomplish that. Let's lead off a round-up of potential holiday literature with this pair of illuminated volumes, then examine a few other publications that lovers of the outdoors should find useful.
"Hidden Treasures of San Francisco Bay," by photographer Dennis E. Anderson, with writer Jerry George, is a love letter to a water body ordinarily seen as a barrier to auto transportation rather than a wondrous, biologic entity. But after admiring Anderson's vivid color portraits, it's safe to say anyone will be able to view the bay with fresh eyes and far deeper appreciation. Anderson -- a professional architectural photographer -- lives on a 45-foot boat at Loch Lomond Marina. One of his themes is the beauty of water travel, whether aboard a tall ship under full sail, or a laden tanker steaming for the Golden Gate.
But he also has an artist's eye for the bay's varied biomes (ecologic zones), the waving rushes of Grizzly Island, the variegated palette of South Bay salt ponds. Tule elk, herons, hawks and gulls also appear for their close- ups. The real revelation is underwater portraiture of smelt, bat rays and leopard sharks, as well as colorful tunicates and other submarine bay life.
George's accompanying text blends natural science with poetic prose. However, the book is dominated by its many creative photos, rich in saturated color.
Whether focused with intimacy on the unblinking and thoughtful eye of a mountain lion or on the moon that seems delicately balanced atop a distant ridge, Dennis Anderson lays before us a Bay that is full of surprise and unexpected delight. Together these nearly 200 color photographs present a Bay as no one person has ever seen it: from the deck of a boat or the seat of a small helicopter, from beneath the surface of the water or through the blades of marsh grasses, from dozens of angles and perspectives. 176 pages, softcover.
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