We did as we did on the first day of 2021, and boarded a sailboat to circumnavigate Alameda island on New Years’s Day. A 15-mile cruise down the Oakland-Alameda estuary, under the Park, High St., Fruitvale and Bay Farm Island Bridge, allowing us to see where we are, here and now, as we enter 2022.
This year, instead of taking Espresso, we were guests on our neighbor’s 32-foot boat, which made for a comfortable and convivial ride, even if it was freezing at the outset of the voyage. At 8:30 in the morning there was ice on the windshield and frost on the docks.
Out on the estuary, the tide was high and carried no small number of floating logs and branches from the recent storms along with the occasional stuffed animal or bobbing bottle. It wasn't the prettiest sight, which is the reality of being out the water. Eventually, the tide will bring everything to the surface. Despite the floating detritus, clear views of the city skyline and Marin Headlands plus the image of the dozen-plus of other vessels in our starting pod as they made their way ‘round the island made for a pleasing scene. A lot, for the moment, seemed well.
We watched the movie “Don’t Look Up”, the dark comedy of the moment about a comet hitting earth, on New Year’s Eve, so I was feeling both a bit haunted and acutely aware of how precious life is. The movie skewers everything about now: big money, social media, climate denialism, conspiracy theories, you name it, and the last lines of the movie, about having it all played in mind as we motored over the Bay, especially since the week’s Covid-related fallout included a cancelled trip to Hawaii. A few years ago, I would have been sad to have such a trip being scrapped at the last minute, but if there’s a silver lining to this pandemic it’s realizing how much I have to appreciate.
Another artist addressing climate change is Judy Chicago, whose retrospective at The de Young Museum is open through January 9. I’ve long heard about Chicago’s storied Dinner Table from other women artists I’ve known and admired, but Thursday was the first time I’ve seen her work. While The Dinner Table — and the process of making the famous table setting which uses imagery of female genitalia to call out un and under-recognized women throughout history — is featured prominently, the exhibit is led by her current work about climate catastrophe The End: A Meditation on Death and Extinction. It’s a challenge to stay with such work, with its clear-eyed depictions of tumor-ridden sea tortoises, stranded polar bears, mutilated elephants in porcelain and glass as well as self-reflective work, wondering what will happen to her. It’s also a testament to Chicago’s tireless art practice and activism despite an oppressive culture and often less-than-receptive art establishment.
“I’m grateful we tried,” Jennifer Lawrence’s character Kate says in the final scene of “Don’t Look Up,” and that’s my take-away as we head into this both new year and third year of the pandemic.
Out on the Bay, there was absolutely no wind, so we didn’t bother with raising the sails until we were back in the estuary. There were, however, large flotillas of Surf Scoters out on the water. Occasionally, a seal would swim by and a Brown Pelican would fly over. As we sailed past Alameda Point we sighted a number of Great Blue Herons and one large Jackrabbit, sprinting across the expanse.