I’ve Been Drawing On Beaches Since Childhood, And I Still Do

August 25, 2017 6:05 PM

Dutch artist Tim Hoekstra:

I love the idea of temporary art because all things in life are temporary. I grew up on the beach where I lived during the summer. I have always been drawing on the beach using materials I found there. 6 years ago I started using a rake. This way I could make the drawings much bigger. Because they became so big I wanted to see the result from above. I mounted a GoPro on a kite so I could make pictures. Nowadays I am using a drone. I am inspired by tattoo artists, street art and geometry.

(Instagram, Facebook)
posted by Johnny Wallflower (9 comments total)

What he's doing is very cool, but I wish he were inspired by something more, uh, inspiring. I mean, he's a half step away from dancing bear ankle ringlets and faux-tribal bicep cuffs.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 6:33 PM on August 25, 2017

Somewhat similar to snow art by Simon Beck.
posted by twsf at 6:54 PM on August 25, 2017 [2 favorites]

You fools! He's clearly trying to call Yog Sothoth, and you do nothing!
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:05 AM on August 26, 2017

I hate that our artists and cultural leaders these days are so enamored with the basically trivial and not at all new realization that things change, because it leaves us culturally defenseless against the forces that promote toxic ideas like "creative destruction" and "disruptive innovation" and a vision of live as a constant, never ending Epicurean churn of atomized individuals in a sort of historical blender. We get it already, okay? Yes, impermanence makes it hard to keep anything good intact. We've known that for ages. It's not profound or instructive anymore to keep beating that horse.
posted by saulgoodman at 6:04 AM on August 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

It may not be profound or instructive but it looks really nice.
Can't that be enough sometimes? Someone who is striving to create beauty?
posted by Too-Ticky at 6:53 AM on August 26, 2017 [6 favorites]

What Too-Ticky said. I like these. It must be difficult as hell to get them that precise without them being stepped on or blown away and they're quite beautiful. I like impermanent art. I like the mindset it takes to create something ephemeral. I like the idea that artists can relinquish the idea of the precious ever living masterpiece and go to the opposite extreme. Paint with water on rocks sometimes.
posted by mygothlaundry at 9:57 AM on August 26, 2017 [2 favorites]

Yeah, who cares if we already get it? Its still beautiful. As someone who is constsntly driven to create stuff, I totally get why creating something that will just wash away appeals. No wasted paper or expensive art or craft supplies, and no trying to decide what to do with (potentially ) useless object object once you are done.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 7:57 PM on August 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

It may not be profound or instructive but it looks really nice.
Can't that be enough sometimes? Someone who is striving to create beauty?

and

Yeah, who cares if we already get it? Its still beautiful.

Of course, and I completely agree, but (also of course) "looks really nice" and "beautiful" aren't objective qualities. One might also suggest that a whole lot of things look really nice and are beautiful, and that the ratio of beauty to work (and attention/promotion) here isn't super favorable, but of course others might not care about those quibbles. De gustibus, as always.
posted by Joseph Gurl at 9:39 PM on August 26, 2017

I also like the idea that someone is busy creating [what many people experience as] beauty out of nothing. Meaning that they are using materials that are already there and will still be there afterwards, manipulating them in a way that does not disturb anything, and that is utterly temporary; no waste is created, no noise... nothing but human labour is being used up. Once the drawing is gone, there are no traces except the photographs and the memories of the people who saw it. In that way, it's similar to drawing with smoke or with light, or even with ones body (also known as dancing).

Nothing remains. No harm is being done to the materials, the viewers, or the location.
There is something very peaceful in that.
posted by Too-Ticky at 12:54 AM on August 27, 2017 [2 favorites]