This artist’s giant sand art pieces have been winning the internet
Waterford based artist Manu quietly goes in search of a wide enough stretch of wet sand to serve as his canvas, quite a feat considering his first ever proper drawing had a diameter of almost 40 meters containing 6 circles and a random freehand design. The tools he uses are: bamboo sticks, strings and a measuring tape to find construction points and to outline the drawing. From there on it is freehand. The drawing itself is done with a set of rakes. “The tidal sand contains a lot of moisture underneath the dry and bright surface, and raking the sand brings up the more wet – and therefore darker – sand. It creates a contrast, and this is how I draw.”
Image: Aldo selvi
It’s then a race against time,” I have a maximum of 6 hours of drawing time until the incoming tide claims everything. At first, the winding lines might not look like much. But, with a quiet intensity, Manu soon rakes them into shape, working with care and precision to produce the fleeting piece of art that will astound any of those who are lucky enough to chance upon it in real life however, those who are not will have the chance to see it across social media, over the pass number of weeks Manu’s work has been winning the internet with incredible messages of support along with the odd cry of “photoshopped” rest assured though these art pieces are definitely not superimposed images!
Looking to the future the artist will be releasing prints shortly, and by the end of the year the first yearly calendar will be published.
….Alas the Irish tide soon comes in to claim the work by Manu – but for the artist, that is part of the point.
