Having visited Dogtown several times, most recently this spring, I understand the serenity of listening to the restful rhythm of my footfall, the surprise of discovering a series of commandments carved into imposing, solid stones, and the slightly sinister feeling of losing my way among the mysterious wooded paths. It's an odd place.
After reading Elyssa East's Dogtown, I have a new appreciation for Gloucester's abandoned commons. East describes the history of Dogtown, recording how contemporaneous reactions to poverty, murder, and pirates evolved into the complex relationship locals have with the land, its purpose, and its role within the community.
Marsden Hartley, like a number of artists, found Dogtown to be a refuge, a retreat filled with bold, mythical landscapes. Dogtown was my introduction to Marsden Hartley, who painted on Cape Ann for several summers. Here are several of his works from the early 1930's:
In addition to his work in Massachusetts, Hartley painted landscapes in Maine, capturing its rocky coast and high, rolling hills. Out west, Hartley found inspiration in the sun-drenched sand and sculptural succulents:
Interested in seeing some of Hartley's works? Marsden Hartley: Soliloquy in Dogtown will be on exhibit at the Cape Ann Museum until October 14th.
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