Ephemeral Art Rocks!

Nature is everywhere. Every time we step foot outside, it surrounds us--the trees, grass, dirt, rocks, twigs, leaves, plants, flowers, and so on. It is everywhere. So much so, that we often take nature's presence for granted. It is just something that is always "there." But did you know that there is an art form that actually uses these natural elements to create art? Ephemeral art, is often described as art that can't be made into any lasting object. It is often made of "perishable" items, or things that are not permanent and can't be preserved. This also means that it usually cannot be shown in a museum or gallery. It can range anywhere from sculptural forms to performance art. Many artists use ephemeral art in their work, and several different artists creating this art form will be featured in this multi-part blog series. The post this month is Part 1 in the series, and focuses on an artist who creates a type of ephemeral art that you could say, simply rocks! The artwork above, entitled, Fisherman, is created by British artist, Justin Bateman. He makes his amazing artwork by using many small rocks, pebbles, or stones found outside in nature. Now, living in Thailand, he often leaves his "pebble portraits" on beaches, along railways, or in local forests and mountains. Sometimes he creates original work, and sometimes his work is based on recreating famous art, like these two pieces shown below, "Stona Lisa No.2," (based on Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa), and "Girl With the Stone Earring," (based on Johannes Vermeer's Girl With the Pearl Earring). Both of these were created in 2019.

He also creates portraits of animals and people--a few famous faces you may recognize!

Many of his pieces take several days to complete, and his color palette is often quite restrictive, due to the limited hues and tones available on natural rocks and stones. While his actual work will eventually disappear, he does take photos and video of his creations for a bit of permanence. The practice of this art, is a reminder to us all, of the impermanence of life. To Justin, the most satisfying part of his work is knowing that nature will eventually reclaim it's own materials that he borrowed to create his art. He states, "My work is impermanent. I leave only footprints."

You can learn more about Justin on his website, or by viewing his artwork on Instagram or TikTok.

Here is a sneak peek into next month's blog--Part 2 of ephemeral nature artists!

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