Via "A race against time': the beach artist whose sand murals quickly disappear/Andres Amador makes large-scale, impermanent artworks on the beach in California/The California tide soon washes away work by Andres Amador – but for the artist, that is part of the point" in The Guardian.
“It is a race against time,” he says while assembling his tools, and there is little time to waste. The tide that is retreating as he begins will soon regain its ground, sweeping over his work just moments after it is created. But, that is after all, part of the point.
“People have a hard time with this feeling of impermanence, of doing something that seems like it has no real purpose – which really is all art on some level,” he says, explaining that he tries to play the part of a contrarian. “But I am fully bought into the idea that there’s a much bigger thing occurring and the art plays a much bigger role than humanity, or at least our society, gives it credit for.”
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38 comments:
"nemesiseses"
The ancient idea behind Tibetan Buddhist sand mandalas.
Not entirely original, but still cool.
"People have a hard time with this feeling of impermanence, of doing something that seems like it has no real purpose..."
So many things we do in life are in this category. Everything, in fact, depending how you look at it. The joy is best placed in the doing, not the done.
When you stop to think about it, the sculptor of Ozymandias created something more enduring than Ozymandias ever did.....Patterns in the sand, and then washed away. That's the way it goes. The sphinx returns to sand eventually.
Wonder if he used a rope and stick to get such good circles?
Pretty cool but you have to have the right mind and perspective to do this. I make lots of stuff - not art, more crafts, usually wood based - and derive significant pleasure from its permanence. Can't imagine making a table or bowl and then tossing it into the fireplace.
If you take a picture of evanescent art, it is evanescent? Is the photograph the real artwork?
vita brevis, ars breviori
Impermanent press shirts are popular with artists. The unkempt look.
I wonder if I will lifve longer than Mick Jagger. He will be remembered longer certainly, but I'd rather be alive than remembered.
Althouse finds garner grating. For me it's confusing comprise with compose.
Bummer, he copied my tribal tattoo, man.
readering - Amen. "Comprise" for "compose" = heartburn. No...angina.
It looks almost exactly like the arm tattoos on a player the Seahawks just signed.
“The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit. Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.”
Until the tide comes on.
I think the art is the photograph, not what is on the beach. So, it isn't impermanent.
This is like that one Twilight Zone where the dinky USA space ship lands in the old lady's attic and the dinky USA guys make some dinky crop circles on the beach and then get washed away.
Well, your “Art” is my nemesis. Not interested. Spoils the natural beach every much as tire tracks. You probably stack rocks as well. Awful.
Wouldn't it be more ephemeral...dare I say authentic, if he never photographed it?
Looks Like Bubbles!
Spoils the natural beach every much as tire tracks. You probably stack rocks as well. Awful.
Yep. Beach graffiti. Ugh.
Fascinating a nice change from politics. Please increase the art/creativity posts. I love sketching designs that use repeating elements, much like this artist uses circles and curving lines. The idea that you should never get attached to a finished piece has long been a philosophy of mine. The day you cling to a finished piece of work is the day you stop creating.
Forgot to add: sometimes creating is more about the process than the finished piece. That is what is different for me in my own creative resurgence. When I was younger it was much more about the piece itself once done, the process was just something to endure. So this guy here might really enjoy the analysis and the process of making the image on sand.
But I am fully bought into the idea that there’s a much bigger thing occurring and the art plays a much bigger role than humanity, or at least our society, gives it credit for.
But I am fully bought into the idea that society should value me more than it does.
FIFH
Artist: "I make beautiful evanescent art!"
Fairy Tale Tailor: "Can I see it?"
Artist: "No, but I promise it was right over there. Everyone raves about how great my art is."
Fairy Tale Tailor: "I know an Emperor who would be a perfect client for you."
"Fairy Tale Tailor: "Can I see it?""
The real answer is: "Yes, here's my photography."
Nothing is permanent. Some things may last for thousands of years: The Pyramids of Egypt, ruins in Athens and Rome, the Great Wall of China. On the scale of a human lifetime, they seem permanent. A thousand human lifetimes in the future, they may all be gone and forgotten. More than 99% of all of the people of the past and their works are forgotten, however famous they may been in their day, and of the few that are remembered, most are misunderstood (often deliberately so) when viewed through the lens of modern society. Oblivion is the fate of us all.
So gather ye rosebuds while ye may... Robert Herrick, who's that?
Althouse, that would be anachronistic. My imagined conversation took place before photography.
Who will rid me of these troublesome Park rangers?
Wasn't there a Dadaist who signed his name in the snow and said: "I call it "The Alps""
Ray Bradbury got there first with his short story, The Picasso Summer.
So what is the bigger role that art is playing, especially art that is not seen? And does this have anything to do with minimalism?
Ah he is in a nice zone.
I like this evanescent art much better.
- Krumhorn
These are spectacular.
Nothing is Permanent. It used to be an iconoclastic thing, back in the day, for curator studies people to invite Tibetan monks to major galleries to make mandalas to erase.
mockturtle said...
Spoils the natural beach every much as tire tracks. You probably stack rocks as well. Awful.
Yep. Beach graffiti. Ugh.
4/5/19, 12:49 PM
It's not something I myself do but I'm not sure what the harm is with stacking rocks. Some of those seem to me to look kind of cool. I doubt the fish are missing out on anything.
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