Stand at the sea’s edge on a clear day in Rye and you’ll catch a splendid view of the Isles of Shoals seven miles east. In the warm months, visitors gather to enjoy spiritual and artistic retreats, history, and wildlife. In the winter, however, the site is closed to the public because the weather we experience on the mainland is far more treacherous at sea. Without safeguarding, nature would have its way with this precious place. Fortunately, Alex de Steiguer is its committed caretaker.
Having grown up near the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in northern New Jersey, de Steiguer is no stranger to the natural world. At age 18 she joined the Ocean Research and Education Society on a tall ship crisscrossing the Gulf of Maine. Over the next eight years she worked as crew on numerous other expeditions, living, as she describes, “in the thick of wildness.” Some journeys were aboard the resilient schooner, Ernestina, which endured the notorious “Perfect Storm” as de Steiguer and crewmates navigated safely to the Caribbean. She was accompanied by her mother’s 35mm camera, with which she captured her adventures as she grew dedicated to the grit and solace of the sea.
Serendipitously, a few years later, one of her shipmates worked on the Isles of Shoals, which needed a caretaker. De Steiguer was called to the job, and for 28 winters she has been devoted to this labor of love. Despite human efforts to batten down the island, nature finds its way in.
“When it snows on the mainland,” de Steiguer says, “there are probably gale-force winds here.” She is ever on watch, ready to remove snow drifts from historic interiors and forestall damage. Based on Star Island, she is almost always completely alone among the nine islands, apart from the boat that brings her supplies every three to four weeks. While some might fear this kind of solitude, she does not. “Here,” she explains, “the wildlife becomes my community—gulls, owls, geese, ducks, eagles, seals—and I also know there are people out there in the world who care about me.”
De Steiguer’s work as a photographer, writer, and musician is intimately linked to her work as a caretaker. “A lot has been lost in our modern lives,” she reflects. “My art is my way of pointing to the natural world, from which we evolved, and to express reverence for it.” She hopes that her raw experience of nature, as captured in her photographs, will be a “touchstone” that encourages others to remember when they once connected to nature, and be inspired to seek it out. Likewise, her music aims to capture her multi-layered experience within the natural world. Her first album, Island Sublime, which can be found on her website AlexdeSteiguer.com and on BandCamp, features a collection of her original songs written during winters on the Isles of Shoals. She is currently working on a second album.
On the mainland, de Steiguer prints her images in her darkroom in York, Maine, is represented by the Pucker Gallery in Boston, and gives occasional presentations to the public. Understandably, it's a process for her to transition between the starkly different environments in which she spends her year. On returning to the mainland, she finds herself troubled. “It’s so loud,” she explains, “There's the traffic noise, voices, everyone's on their devices. It’s disheartening.” She strives to find “quiet, centering” moments—an early rise with the dawn, the solitude of writing. And yet, she explains, “Moving back to the mainland is, in some ways, refreshing. I lose some of the preconceived notions I have about humanity, and see individuals with new eyes.” Her immersion in the maritime wild has taught her that “we all share the fragility of life.” Simply look at her photography and listen to her music and you will find a unique perspective on humility, resiliency, and the unbridled power of nature.
A lot has been lost in our modern lives. My art is my way of pointing to the natural world, from which we evolved, and to express reverence for it.