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JMG Galleries Photography by Jim M. Goldstein |
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Lands End has been a favorite spot of mine to visit since well before I moved to San Francisco. When I used to visit on business I would often spend an afternoon taking in the amazing views of the Marin Headlands and Golden Gate Bridge from the Lands End walking paths. More recently I proposed to my fiancée from an overlook on these trails. 3 months after our engagement my fiancée and I again were walking along Lands End trails and I caught something out of the corner of my eye that looked unusual… an odd plateau with something on it that I couldn’t quite make out. Intent on taking a closer look we headed off down a staircase/path that leads to Muir Beach from the main trail. At the end of this path is a large plateau overlooking the inlet adjoining the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay. On this plateau I came across the Lands End labyrinth. Quite impressed with the size, placement and work that had gone into the labyrinth I couldn’t resist but walk through it. I was very intrigued by the labyrinth and instantly identified the photographic possibilities given the amazing views surrounding the point it was built on. Given that my fiancée and I were walking our 3 dogs, time was short and I seemed to be the only one fascinated by the existence of this maze in such a serene location. Not content to find such an interesting thing and pass it by so quickly I adjusted my schedule the next day so that I could make it back with my camera. While visiting the labyrinth on my second visit I was able to see others enjoying it and incorporating it into their evening exercise routines. Not only had a select few people found this hidden treasure they had begun to build their routines around it combining the serenity of the scenic surroundings with the meditative qualities of walking through the labyrinth. Taking photos well into sunset I too took the time to walk the labyrinth again. This time I decided to take a closer look at the centerpiece to see what people had left. Notes, stickers and random objects were left behind, but just as I turned to walk out I noticed a hidden piece of paper under the rocks. Carefully removing this paper, I read it to discover that this was not the only labyrinth created in the area. A map was detailed on this paper outlining how to find a second labyrinth and an email was also listed. Now I was twice as curious to the source of these creations as when I first discovered the Lands End Labyrinth.
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What I found out from my discovered clue was that there was another labyrinth in the Marin headlands with a provided map and a referenced email contact. Ever intrigued I emailed the contact reference, Eduardo, and planned my next excursion to hike to the Marin Labyrinth the next morning. Before the end of the evening I heard back from Eduardo. As I surmised Eduardo was indeed the person behind the Lands End Labyrinth and he was in the process of finishing a third labyrinth, this one in the San Bruno Mountains. Eduardo informed me he was finishing the San Bruno Labyrinth in the next couple of days and he invited me to meet with him the day after next. This was perfect as I could make my way to the Marin Labyrinth before we met. Before dawn I got on the road to drive to the trailhead that would take me to the Marin Labyrinth. Eduardo described the general location and mentioned how with good weather there were incredible panoramic views of the entire San Francisco Bay area. For this reason alone I felt an early viewing would be perfect for a sunrise/labyrinth photo. In addition he informed me this labyrinth was even larger than that at Lands End and could clearly be seen from the air. I was really excited to see his work. The hike to the Marin Labyrinth location was fairly strenuous. As the sun was beginning to make its presence known I made it to my destination. The sky was pink from the pre-dawn sun peeking over the Oakland hills. From left to right I could see Sausalito, Angel Island, all of the east bay, Alcatraz, downtown San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Pacific Ocean and behind me was…. an empty clearing where the labyrinth was supposed to be. I was incredibly disappointed. I walked around making sure that I hadn’t misread the instructions or information that Eduardo relayed to me. Later I would find out that this his second oldest creation had indeed been cleared. The only person more disappointed than I at this news was Eduardo. Later in the morning I broke the news to him by phone and we setup a time to meet as he finished his San Bruno Labyrinth.
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The next day early in the morning I drove out to the San Bruno Mountains to find my way to the partially completed labyrinth that Eduardo was finishing and to meet the man behind it all. I got there early and could see that Eduardo did a great job in scouting out locations with amazing panoramic views. I had never been to this area and could see a northern facing view of San Francisco again with a clear view from the Pacific Ocean to the east bay (San Bruno View -8MB Quicktime VR Movie). The labyrinth was partially completed and on a slight grade. A walking path was only 20 or 30 feet away making this much easier to get to by comparison to the Lands End Labyrinth. Just as I was taking this all in I could see Eduardo approaching on the path in the distance. Cordial and soft-spoken in his greeting we began to talk about his labyrinths and how beautiful the weather had been. The warm and clear weather made viewing and creating labyrinths much more enjoyable. Eager to finish before needing to leave for work Eduardo put down his backpack, containing a few tools to aid in finishing his latest creation and started collecting rocks from 100 yards away. All of Eduardo’s labyrinths have their form & paths outlined by rocks. Initially I stood back observing, taking photos and asking Eduardo questions. I grew increasingly curious about Eduardo and not just about, the art form Eduardo was pursuing. As I found out that day and more during a more formal interview months later, Eduardo grew up in Baja California, Mexico and came to the US in 1966. Living in southern California until 1983 he moved to San Francisco and runs his own auto detailing business. Intrigued by art, but not considering himself artistic, he had experimented in photography, music and writing. After watching a show on PBS about labyrinths and making a visit to Grace Cathedral in San Francisco his interests transitioned from enjoying labyrinths as a visitor, to wanting to create them. Tying a core theme of “peace, love and enlightenment” to his labyrinths he began creating labyrinths in December of 2003 and having them prepared in time for Equinoxes and Solstices. In the case of this labyrinth he was aiming to complete it for the Fall Equinox. The more I talked with Eduardo, the more I realized I was interacting with someone who saw deeper meaning in his creations and had a message. On that first day of walking through the Lands End labyrinth I thought someone had a neat hobby of creating such things. After 15 minutes of talking with Eduardo, I was pleasantly surprised by this revelation and greatly respected his efforts. It was around this time in our discussion that I’d take breaks from my photographic documentation of the labyrinth building to help gather rocks and clear ground so Eduardo could more rapidly complete his project. Not only did Eduardo’s theme of “peace, love and enlightenment” impress me, his overall outlook on life was impressive. As I found out that day although the destruction of the Marin Labyrinth was heartbreaking to him, he had endured this kind of situation once before. As he described in our conversation the Lands End Labyrinth had been destroyed twice before. Once because he originally built the labyrinth on high ground at Mile Rock Beach and it had been washed away and the other time vandals destroyed the labyrinth in it’s current location over a 4th of July weekend. In each case he was undeterred and rebuilt the labyrinth bigger and better each time. Soon enough Eduardo completed his third creation, a small seven-ring labyrinth, in time for the 2004 Fall Equinox. As I found out the influence for this and his other labyrinths stem from a connection with ancient ancestors and calendar systems. In addition to creating his labyrinths in time for yearly equinoxes and solstices he has also started to host meetings at his creations on these days.
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Over the years many people have found their way to his labyrinths. Unfortunately to date the only labyrinth to remain is his beautiful creation at Lands End. At this particular location people have left him contact information, stories and tokens of thanks. Over time people have found their way to stay in contact with Eduardo, while others randomly find their way to him on the evening of his gatherings. For the 2004 Winter Solstice Eduardo lit the labyrinth with luminaries. A small group of people joined him in what was described to me as a peaceful and beautiful event, one that brought strangers together bonding them into friends. Sadly this event was not photographed, but on Christmas eve the luminaries were again setup for the enjoyment of a few of Eduardo’s close friends and was photographed. For the 2005 Spring Equinox the Lands End Labyrinth again was the stage for another gathering. This time the labyrinth was set ablaze. This fiery spectacle was enjoyed by many of his friends, fans, and several others that by good fortune had the luck of stumbling across the event. The fire lasted for quite sometime offering those attending the option to view the labyrinth at ground level or from above at various rocky outcrops. Having enjoyed several of the events tied to Eduardo’s San Francisco labyrinths and the endless enjoyment of visiting them I relish my opportunities to meet and talk with him about his future endeavors. Eduardo is a grounded and talented individual with a great message tied to his work. Modest by nature he is no different than any other artist, he would love to make his artwork his living and even have one adopted or commissioned by the city. Discussion of participation at Burning Man piques his interest, but would require external funding and/or grants for what he has in mind… perhaps next year. Ultimately Eduardo’s passion is in the act of creating and he has been touched by the responses he’s received to date with his simple creations. Even he did not expect that his creations would touch as many people as they have and in such profound ways. If you have not yet had the opportunity to visit one of his creations be sure to do so.
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