CREATING A LABYRINTH: AN ARTIST'S PATH

Since 1985, artist Carol Sloane has been walking daily on "The Loop', a circular path that takes in her land and several local gravel roads near her home in the town of Washington. Walking and seeing and thinking, she began to record this ritual on paper, on canvas and even in a long horizontal moving scroll. Her study of Time, Light and Pathways has evolved over the years through changing landscapes of Maine woods and islands to New Mexico's Rio Grande canyons and hills.

It's not surprising that these investigations led to the labyrinth. As an ancient meditation tool, the labyrinth has been around for at least 4000 years . Labyrinths define a sacred pathway to the center and back out again.

In New Mexico last spring, Carol began a series of pathway and maze paintings, exploring their abstract patterns in colors, as if mapped from above.

This summer, she took a different set of tools to work: handsaw, clippers and a push mower. In the middle of a 12 acre hayfield near her studio, Carol chose the site for her Labyrinth: a wooded knoll of pines and alder saplings. And with characteristic energy and determination, she continued, over the next 2 1/2 months to create interweaving circular paths. Defining the center by measuring two intersecting diameters of the area, she then made concentric paths by clearing brush and some saplings and banking the paths' sides with branches and small logs . Then, in an intricate process, she broke and joined the circles at regular points. As the artist described her work on the labyrinth, It put in mind the weaver's work where a line of thread is stopped, joined, repeated ; and Carol's artistic history has included work with fabrics.

At four regular points, the labyrinth extends into the meadow itself and then returns into the woods. In places along the paths, little saplings line the way or appear in the middle of a section. No part of the paths is the same, as the viewpoint through the tall pine verticals to the sunlit meadow beyond constantly shifts.

There are many kinds of labyrinths, some of stone or banked earth, some of planted hedges, some within buildings such as cathedrals, where paving mosaics define the path for prayer and meditation. Carol Sloane's Washington Labyrinth combines an ancient tradition with a very contemporary trend of environmental and installation art. It offers a puzzlement, a beautiful walk, an outing for fun, or a space for meditation.

In fact, this is the second labyrinth to appear in the town of Washington. Liberty Graphics designer Bob Richardson and his wife Susan made one in their hayfield earlier in the year.

Carol Sloane's Washington labyrinth is located on Old Union Road about 3/4 mile beyond Washington Village. There is a sign on the right indicating a parking area, and two large banners mark the entrance to the labyrinth, where you'll find a box with maps. In hunting season, be aware that the Labyrinth is open only on Sundays. When the snows come, Carol intends to create snowshoe trails. She invites all to come and experience a walk through the Labyrinth. And don't forget to write in the Guest Book; it's at the beginning (and end) of the trail.