Andres Amador’s large scale sand art in Ventura

Andres Amador is a San Francisco-based sand artist and his artwork can span over 100,000 square feet (~35,000 sqmt), achievable only during low tide. With tight time constraints and big goals, Andres is posed with the question:  ‘How does one create from within that which one is creating?’ Exploring this concept of self-creation has brought Andres to investigate natural and human-devised systems of structure and growth. His artworks do not last long- within minutes of finishing a piece, and often while still in progress, the returning tide begins resetting the canvas. Although temporary, the art is breathtaking and attracts an awestruck audience of all ages. Most recently, Andres came to Ventura, CA; creating one of his famous murals on our beach as well as hosting a two day workshop available to the public. Local residents and visitors of Ventura not only viewed the art, but were given the opportunity to interact with Andres himself, learning of his philosophy behind his work and even creating an art piece of their own in the sand.

Images and text by: Kamilo Bustamante, Brooks Institute