www.montereycountynow.com AUGUST 28-SEPTEMBER 3, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 21 Big Sur’s 75 miles of rugged and spectacular coastline have beckoned generations of creatives, wanderers, seekers and tourists. Often described as a place “where extremes meet,” this magnificent region is characterized by stark contrasts: stunningly beautiful, yet subject to the violent forces of nature; isolated, yet home to a supportive local community; environmentally fragile, yet economically dependent on tourism. Big Sur captured the national consciousness during the mid-20th century, although this highly praised region was often idealized and frequently misunderstood. Some romanticized Big Sur as a paradise or a utopia; for others it represented the last vestige of the wild and free American West. Big Sur became an idea as much as a location, what author Lillian Bos Ross described as “not a place at all, but a state of mind.” An eclectic group of artists came to Big Sur during the mid-century in search of solitude and connection with nature. Many were seeking an escape from what author Henry Miller described as the “air-conditioned nightmare” of conservative post-war America. These individuals formed an arts community that welcomed unconventional lifestyles and encouraged freedom of expression. Working in a wide variety of mediums—watercolor, printmaking, collage, mosaic, textiles, ceramics and sculpture—no two artists took the same approach to their work. The exhibit A World Apart: Big Sur in the Mid-Century features artists working in and around Big Sur from the 1950s through the 1970s, many of whom are historically under-recognized. The art and archival material on display draws from Monterey Museum of Art’s permanent collection and from galleries, libraries, historic sites and private collections. Many works have never been in a museum exhibition. A World Apart explores how this unique place and time in California history produced an innovative and eclectic community of artists. Big Sur’s Indigenous inhabitants, including the Esselen, Salinan and Rumsen tribes, lived in harmony with the land for over 6,000 years, until Spanish missionaries appeared on the California coast in the 18th century. By the late 19th century, American homesteaders had settled in Big Sur. These hardy pioneers supported themselves in a variety of industries before the advent of tourism provided new economic opportunities. The influential poet Robinson Jeffers, who eventually settled in Carmel, had a deep connection to Big Sur and California’s Central Coast. In 1914, the young Jeffers, who had yet to make a name for himself, traveled from the Monterey Peninsula to Big Sur on a horse-drawn wagon. During the day-long journey, he was entranced by the landscapes and people he encountered. From then on, Big Sur would loom large in his verse. Jeffers’ poetry introduced the concept of Big Sur as a world apart, a place offering refuge from a “civilization dying at the core.” His work also stressed the importance of protecting this remote and idyllic landscape, setting the stage for mid-century efforts to control development in the area. Contemporary artists Gordon Newell and David Ligare both cite Jeffers as a major influence and one of the reasons they moved to the area. In 1937, Highway 1 expanded south, opening Big Sur to automobile traffic and tourism. Labor for this construction was primarily provided by convicts who lived in barracks along the coast; construction workers blasted through cliff sides, leaving many locals distressed by the destruction of the landscape. When the road was completed after nearly two decades, the abandoned shacks at the Anderson Creek work camp provided inexpensive housing for bohemians who came to Big Sur, including the artist Jean Varda. Varda, perhaps finding Big Sur’s isolation too challenging, eventually relocated to Monterey. He moved into an old red barn on Hawthorne Street, Big (Sur) Energy Place shaped the artists, but artists also helped shape the place in mid-20th-century Big Sur. By Wendy Van Wyck Good Far left: Emil White, a friend of author and painter Henry Miller, depicted Bixby Bridge in watercolor with a fantastical patterned backdrop. Left: “Kids” by Barbara Spring from A World Apart, and “Stone Age Japan” by James Suzuki shown in Human Nature. “Not a place at all, but a state of mind.” COURTESY OF HAWTHORNE GALLERY JAMES SUZUKI COURTESY OF PRIVATE COLLECTION
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