This Art Might Not Last Forever, But You Can Appreciate It For Now

Artist Joe Mangrum creates intricate, multilayered works of art, spending hours upon hours on a single piece. But at the end of the day, the piece he”s so carefully completed is destroyed, never to be seen again.

That”s because Mangrum works in sand. Known for marking the passage of time, sand is the perfect medium for these pieces. The artist draws inspiration from Tibetan mandalas, which are made of sand and aid in meditative practices that explore the concept of impermanence.

Watch these time-lapse videos of Mangrum at work. You”ll probably feel a strange sense of calm.

Joe Mangrum Sand Painting #7 Doe Museum, Zuidlaren, Netherlands from Joe Mangrum on Vimeo.

His precise, symmetrical forms are stunning.

Joe Mangrum Sand Painting #6 Doe Museum, Zuidlaren, Netherlands from Joe Mangrum on Vimeo.

Joe Mangrum Sand Painting #8 Doe Museum, Zuidlaren, Netherlands from Joe Mangrum on Vimeo.

Mangrum”s work has been shown all over the world. The pieces are often presented in public spaces, like New York City”s Union Square. People stop by to watch for a while, and when the project is complete, the image is swept away. Other times, wind and rain disrupt the process. But Mangrum takes it all in stride, because he”s not concerned with preserving them forever.

Even when he”s hard at work, he still stops and chats with curious passersby.

Joe Mangrum Sand Painting #1 Doe Museum, Zuidlaren, Netherlands from Joe Mangrum on Vimeo.

Sometimes, Mangrum uses the mandala form as a basis for other designs.

Joe Mangrum Sand Painting #2 Doe Museum, Zuidlaren, Netherlands from Joe Mangrum on Vimeo.

Joe Mangrum Sand Painting #5 Doe Museum, Zuidlaren, Netherlands from Joe Mangrum on Vimeo.

Mangrum has been featured in many museums and at art festivals worldwide. Most recently, he was commissioned by the Doe Museum in the Netherlands to create eight new sand pieces. He created them over the course of eleven days, but unlike his public pieces, the images will be protected and on display until the end of October.

You can see more of his work on his website, and more videos on his Vimeo channel. You can also follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr.

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