Beach Art Artist,Andres Amador,to Return to Constitution Beach Saturday

By John Lynds

Artist Andres Amador poses (photo left) with some curious beach goers who ended up joining in the fun of creating a huge piece of public beach art last summer on Constitution Beach

Artist Andres Amador poses with some curious beach goers who ended up joining in the fun of creating a huge piece of public beach art last summer on Constitution
Beach

Last year when San Francisco-based artist Andres Amador visited Constitution Beach to turn the wet sand at low tide into a temporary piece of visual art with the help of the community residents, it became one of the highlights of the Summer.

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay announced this week that Amador will return to Constitution Beach on this Saturday at 12 noon to again transform the beach into art.

“Last summer, Andres (Amador) worked with our staff and the community on DCR’s Carson Beach in South Boston, Constitution Beach in East Boston and Treasure Beach on Spectacle Island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Park to create spectacular, but temporary, works of art,” said Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s Bruce Berman. “This year, we are excited to announce that he’ll be back to once again transform our beaches into sand-raking canvases.”

Amador’s artwork,  which can span over 10,000 feet, is achieved only during low tide. Armed with dozens of printed out sketches, Amador hands participants a rake, a sketch and has them get to work alongside him to create a magnificent work of art that only  last a few hours.

Last year, participants that were mainly curious beach goers, ended up joining in the fun. Residents of  all ages and some Save the Harbor/Save the Bay staffers had a blast for several hours last summer morning at Eastie’s beach helping Amador create his art.

Amador calls his art Playa Paintings and began doing them around the country since 2004.

“The idea came to me while studying geometry, ancient architecture and crop circles,” he said. “Our ancestors created their magnificent works with very simple tools, but armed with great geometric insights. From there the art has evolved into many different styles over the years a the medium guides the exploration.”

Amador generally gives himself about two hours to work. However, as more people join in and help him he can do larger or more ambitious works. But everything must happen during the low tide, and ideally during the window in which the tide is at its lowest.

Amador said he does this type of art because it gets him out to the beach and the fresh air and the elements- sun or wind or rain.

“I do it because it brings me peace and focus,” he said. “Ultimately I do it because of the joy of the challenge. The art form feels to me to be an exploration of the various ways to make large-scale creations. Over the years I have found a number of methods, and new ones continue to present themselves as I explore deeper. This year I purchased a copter with camera attached so that I can make the art and take photos at the landscape level in locations never before available to me. That has opened up whole new avenues of exploration. So I suppose I do it because the art form continues to delight me with possibilities. And truly, its always a good day at the beach.”

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