The Arts in NYC Fall 2012

I was originally planning to go to the Whitney this past Saturday but my friend cancelled on me so instead of going alone I decided to use this as a chance to talk about one of my favorite artists, you may have already guessed but his name is Joe Mangrum. He is an artist who uses multiple mediums for his art, but is most well known for his sand paintings, which is what my post will primarily focus on.

His sand paintings are highly detailed and very colorful. I like them the most out of his other works because the medium seems pretty interesting and original, they also resemble the style of drawing I use. I’m honestly admire his ability to make such detailed pieces with color (I’ve always had issues with using multiple colors in one piece). The sad thing about these paintings is that because they are made of sand they are easily destroyed. They are works that only last in the moment and the only way to make them last forever is through photography. This is especially the case with his work because he creates them outdoors, where wind, water and animals exist as possible destroyers of his art.

here’s an example of his sand paintings, one of my favorites called “Fire”

this piece was actually an installation, which he is sometimes asked or offered a chance to make. When he does, the piece unlike the usual, is created indoors in an area that people are not allowed to walk on so it can last longer.

I really like his sand paintings because they are all very beautiful and have a connection or resemblance to things found in nature. They don’t show anything in a biased light, they simply exist to bring the viewer enjoyment and aesthetic pleasure. This is a great deal as to why I like his art so much, for example this piece called fire is obviously a painting of fire. But it is shown through a neutral lens. Fire is usually depicted as a destructive force but in this piece it is seen as just fire, something natural that can both be beautiful and horrible.

Anyways, moving on to the piece he created this weekend on union square and east 17th street. I decided to use his own pictures cause I couldn’t get a good shot. Seeing it during the creation process is really different from just seeing the final product. It seems like so much more physical effort is needed than I originally thought would be. Even though it seemed like a tedious job and he knew it would disappear soon he was thoroughly enjoying it. Everyone became a little worried that when it started raining the work might get ruined even before it could even be finished. Luckily it didn’t rain too hard and the piece survived and was able to be born.

Even after seeing it, the process still seems kind of impossible to me; he creates the paintings by taking a fistful of sand and just clenching it tightly and loosening it just a bit to let a small trickle of sand fall to the ground, while kneeling the whole time on his knees and hands.

The final product:

I really hope I get the chance to watch him make one again, or at least see a created work in person again. I put this under cool stuff to do, cause if you ever get the chance you should definitely try to check his work out at http://www.joemangrum.com/artnews/