Who hasn’t drawn marks or doodles in the sand while at the beach using a stick or even their big toe? British artist Everton Wright, aka Evewright , has taken this basic human urge to make sense of our transient existence through mark-making and married it with sophisticated and age-old technologies, a personal vision and a grand scale, while also involving local communities.
Evewright calls these happenings Walking Drawings which are inspired by the Nazca lines of Peru and beautifully documented through video and photographs. Using the beaches of Britain as a canvas, he draws in the sand using tools such as a gardening rake, tractor and rotovator, then invites volunteers to trace over the organic drawings by walking or riding on horseback.
These spectacular drawings are public and community art combined, with locals engaged as true participants in the creation of the work. In fact, the ephemeral nature of these environmental drawings, which are eventually obliterated by the weather and incoming tide, adds a deeper, sacred dimension to the work, which highlights and mirrors our brief journey through life.
In a similar way to the art practice of many ancient cultures, these works embody a collective ritualistic expression involving local communities, while simultaneously evoking a deep reverence for the environment.
In the respected tradition of artist Richard Long, who also made art by walking in the landscape, Evewright’s work does not damage the landscape. It instead highlights our collective responsibility to honour and nurture this planet for the benefit of future generations.
Great artist.
Great article!