Dump Beach

Daylight at Dump Beach The entrance to Block Island’s West Beach is located at the end of the same dirt road that takes you to the island’s recycling and trash transfer station. My first trip there was in 2015 and as a landscape photographer I was thrilled to discover such a beautiful beach! A view of the North Light lighthouse is to the right and a lovely stretch of beach meanders off to the left and then disappears. The sun sets directly across from the water edge and it’s a frequent destination to watch the sunset or join a group of friends for a bon fire. But where are the beachgoers on this sunny summer day? Ten years later West Beach has been significantly cleaned up, but the memory of the harm caused cannot be easily erased by bulldozers and rakes. The walking path to the beach is still littered with shards of glass and metal fragments which brightly sparkle in the sunlight but also remind you that walking barefoot is not an option. It feels like an intentional barrier placed by inhabitants stuck in a place they call home by no fault of their own. There is still a story to tell. This collection of photographs was brought into the physical memory through curiosity, imagination, humor, and the recognition of the landscape’s desire to be acknowledged for the violation of its natural self. The landscape is firmly declaring - I will not let you forget what happened to me, and I will remain resilient, beautiful, and at peace.