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If you like making sandcastles when you go to the beach, then there’s no way what this artist is doing with sand isn’t going to blow your mind.
My sandcastles are pretty good, but no one is going to mistake them for real castles, right?
This artist, Andoni Bastarrika, sculpts animals from sand that look so real you’ll do a double take – and then squint – just to be sure they’re not real.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAi2GqOJC-J/?utm_source=ig_embed
Bastarrika’s methods are arduous, but the results are obviously worth it – and he loves his sand-sculpting hobby so much that it definitely doesn’t feel like work.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CC8Kwtds12Z/
He uses sand from fluvial deposits, because river sand has angular grains that’s perfect for shaping figures.
Artist Gerry Kirk was the first to develop the process in the 70s; it’s two stages and full of challenges.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAyU7mSJCha/
During the compaction stage, the artist presses the sand together using wooden forms.
In the second stage, artists shape their sculptures.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAlRO1ppYsp/
Bastarrika wrote on Facebook:
“The sand fascinates me because no matter how you look at it, it will always teach you things if you are willing to learn.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAkZX7aJSBT/
“In order to create a sculpture, an unthinkable number of sand particles participate, hugging each other tightly through humidity, so that someone could model their union.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAkZ8yhJ9yO/
“And once the artist steps back, its piece will remain at the mercy of nature, meaning that sooner or later the wind will dry them up and release each particle, slowly consuming all the individuality and authenticity.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAi1wEcJjMM/
Bastarrika’s shapes are so lifelike and unique, it’s easy to tell he’s been perfecting the technique for years – a decade, in fact.
Even if I had the patience to practice this method (I don’t) I doubt I would ever be this good!
Would you have the dedication to spend hours making something that’s just going to blow away? Tell us why or why not in the comments!
