Apr–Jun 2008 The Magazine of the International Child Art Foundation

Photo: Scott Whitelaw

5

14

18

20

April—June 2008 Volume 11, Issue 2, Number 38

Editor’s CornerModernity is the transient, the fleeting, the contingent; it is one half of art, the other being the eternal and the immovable.

- Charles Baudelaire (French Poet, 1857)

Dear Readers,

Lately it seems as though we are living in a constant state of transition in every corner of our planet. Change is in the air; therefore, we have dedicated this distinctive issue of ChildArt to the Ephemeral Arts.

As you will soon discover, ephemeral artists “live in the moment.” From Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s environmental works (p.10) to the delicate sand mandalas of Tibetan monks (p.5), ephemeral art’s existence is shaped by the effects of time. For that reason, to view an ephemeral artwork is a truly unique experience.

Hopefully this issue will expand your definition of art and encourage you to embrace our changing world. Time is fleeting, so capture a moment…just like building a sand castle to be eventually washed away by the sea.

Happy reading!

Ashfaq Ishaq, Ph. D. Editor

The International Child Art Foundation (ICAF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that prepares children for a creative and cooperative future. ICAF is the only national art and creativity organization for children in the United States. ICAF is also the only

worldwide umbrella organization promoting children’s creativity and imagination through the arts.

To subscribe to ChildArt magazine, call 202-530-1000, fax 202-530-1080, or e-mail childart@icaf.org.

ChildArt is published quarterly by ICAF. Submissions may be edited even when accepted. Submissions of artwork and other material to ChildArt are made at the risk of the sender.

ChildArt quarterly magazine, published since 1998, is a commercial-free arts learning, self-discovery, and global education periodical.

You can also make a donation to ICAF by sending a check to:

International Child Art Foundation P.O. Box 58133 Washington, DC 20037, USA Tel: (202) 530-1000 E-mail: childart@icaf.org

writersTerry Barrett, Ph. D.

B. Stephen Carpenter, II Melissa Chapin

Andrew Crummy Vicki DaielloClaire Eike

Clementina Ferrer Carrie Foix

Amanda Lichtenwalner Joanna Mawdsley Yvonne Murphy

Mira Reisberg, Ph. D. Nathan Sawaya

Diana Lynn Thompson

editor Ashfaq Ishaq, Ph. D.

managing editor Carrie Foix

assistant editor B. Stephen Carpenter, II

Sheri R. Klein, Ph. D. Patricia McKee

contributing editor Amanda Lichtenwalner

graphic design Shannon Smith

All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited. ChildArt (ISSN 1096-9020). Copyright 2008 International Child Art Foundation. Printed in the United States of America

Ephemeral Art

Ephemeral Art .................................................. 4

Where the Sands Blow, Mandalas Go ............. 5

Ephemera in Art ............................................... 6

Ephemeral Art: Visualizing Time ...................... 8

Christo and Jeanne-Claude .......................... 10

Touching the Ephemeral Moment ................. 13

Art from Ice .................................................... 14

Interview with LEGO® Sculpture Artist .......... 16

Day of the Dead: Día de Muertos .................. 18

Making Ephemeral Art ................................... 20

How to Make a Paper Boat Sculpture ........... 22

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow ......................... 24

Photographing the Ephemeral ...................... 26

Domino Day and Domino Art ........................ 26

Transformational Enviromental Art, Page 10

Photo Credit, opposite page:Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979–2005Photo: Wolfgang Volz. © Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Photo Credit, this page:Page 14: Sourdough (night shot), 3rd Place Realistic, by Tori Middelstadt and Emily Scarmuzzi. Photographer, Tula BeltonPage 20: “Gyre” by Diana Lynn Thompson

| Amanda Lichtenwalner |

Another great example of ephemeral artwork is the Tibetan sand mandala. What is a mandala? Mandala is a word that comes from the Hindu religion and translated mandala means “circle” or “completion.” Usually it is used to describe a chart or a shape that represents the universe. A mandala can be many different shapes and sizes and can be made out of many different materials. Most often, mandalas are used as part of religious teaching and to help with meditation since making mandalas takes a lot of focus. Many different religions use some form of mandala, but probably the most well-known type of mandala is the sand mandala, which a group of Buddhist monks designed. A sand mandala is usually made on the floor of a Buddhist temple by a group of trained monks who memorize all of the sand patterns that have been created in the past. This type of mandala has a large outer circle with a small inner circle or square. A circle is used because a circle has no beginning or end so it is seen as a symbol of perfection. In the inner circle or square the monks will usually make symbols that are important to the Buddhist religion and in the outer circle they will make decorations and patterns that describe what is written in the inner circle.

To make the mandala the monks first sketch out a pattern. Then they take a metal rod and rub it against a metal tube filled with colored sand that is bumpy on one side (similar to a washboard). This makes a small amount of the sand come out of the tube a time so the monks can control where the sand goes. It takes a long time to make a mandala and the monks must be very careful not to blow the sand away (sometimes they wear masks), but when they are done they are left with a brightly colored and beautiful design.

Although, all of this work seems kind of silly because a couple of weeks or even just days after making the mandala the monks scoop up the sand and either throw it into the wind or a flowing body of water, such as a stream or river to spread the blessings of the mandala. They also do this to show how things are temporary in life because that is one of the main ideas of Buddhism. Additionally, it symbolizes starting over and starting new.

4

Chi

ldA

rt |

Eph

emer

al A

rts

5

Apr–Jun 2008 | w

ww

.icaf.org

Ephemeral Art| Sheri Klein, Ph.D. |

Art that is made to last for hours, days, or weeks is called ephemeral art. While most art is created with the idea of permanence, or to last a long time, some contemporary artists often create ephemeral art in the form of installations. Installations can be found indoors or outdoors, where artists combine materials, such as paper, wood, and 2-D and 3-D works into form. Many installations are ephemeral because they are made from non-permanent materials, for example, food, paper, or natural materials found in nature (leaves, twigs, or rocks). Some installation artists allow the viewers to participate, while others allow us to be observers. Rirkrit Tiravanija creates ephemeral art when he builds a replica of his apartment in a gallery and invites gallery viewers to eat meals and talk with him in his “house.” Performance artists, or artists who combine visuals, words, and music, are ephemeral artists because their works are over in a short time. Andy Goldsworthy is an artist who uses natural forms to create outdoor installations that are ephemeral. He gathers rocks, leaves, and twigs, and arranges them in new forms and shapes. He leaves the new forms and shapes in nature and watches how the sun, rain, and snow change his work and he photographs these changes in large, beautiful color photographs.

Artists who make ephemeral art sometimes compete in competitions, such as ice sculptures, butter, and food sculptures. Still other artists who live in cities create ephemeral art through graffiti and street art, and paint on walls and buildings.

Some people may consider gardens a kind of ephemeral art, do you? Whatever form it takes, ephemeral art asks that we appreciate the art work now in the present moment, for it may not be there tomorrow.

“…ephemeral art asks that we appreciate the art work now in the present moment, for it may not be there tomorrow.”

Mandalas are not just for Buddhist monks though,

and they do not have to be made of sand. Anyone

can make a mandala, which means you can,

too. You need a piece of paper, a paper plate (or

something round), something to draw and color

with (crayons, markers, pastels, colored pencils,

or even sand if you would like), and a quiet spot.

Then, start by drawing a big outer circle, using

the paper plate as a guide. After that, draw

whatever designs pop into your head. Be imaginative

and use lots of color and have fun. When you are

done, hang your mandala up somewhere where

you can see it and leave it there for a week or two.

They say you can learn things from your mandala by

looking at it; so, when you pass your mandala see if

it tells you anything important.

where the sands blow,

mandalas go

After shaping, constructing, and polishing one of my sculptures

or when I see someone wearing a piece I have created, I wonder

how long this object will exist in the world and if it will have

significance for others in the future. However, while the metal

object may endure for many years and may be meaningful

to someone, I hold onto the special memories of making the

artwork. The metal object will likely have a long existence,

while the act of creating the works is short-lived. However, the

process is valuable for it brings a unique and vivid experience

to my world.

Julian Beever is an artist known for his ephemeral art, using chalk

to create vibrant and life-like scenes on city streets and sidewalks all

over the world. His pavement art features the technique of trompe

l’oeil, a method of rendering that tricks the eye and mind into seeing

an image as real. For example, Beever’s images appear so life-like that some people

have swerved in order to avoid the potholes he had drawn onto the pavement (Loat,

Pavement Picasso, 2006). Beever spends several days working on a project knowing

that the effects of the weather, as well as human and automobile traffic, will eventually

wash away or erase his images.

Beever is sensitive to the way in which his artwork will relate to the surroundings,

no matter if he is working under a summer sun or a winter light. He plans each

image with care, using a camera on a tripod to guide the angles and determine the

shapes that will form the illusions that viewers see. His images are anamorphic,

which means that they must be seen from a particular angle to achieve their trompe

l’oeil effect. Beever creates his images from the perspective of his camera, constantly

moving between the drawing on the sidewalk and his camera’s eye to check the

accuracy of the illusion. People enjoy talking with Beever while he works. The short

life of Beever’s pavement art reminds people to experience it now, even if the chalk

art will fade with time and weather. The vividness of his imagery may live in the

minds as memories of those who see his art and affect how they see things.

What can we learn from ephemeral art? Ephemeral art raises questions about the

types of experiences and objects we value as art in our culture. Ephemeral art helps

Ephemeral art is special because it requires that we pay attention to the small and beautiful moments that unfold in life, celebrating the everyday.

can be a source of insight about self and society. Some art encourages us to think about the world differently, especially when the work challenges what we see or believe

to be true. For example, many people believe that valuable art is only found in museums and galleries. But, a type of art not typically found in

Ephemera in Art6

Chi

ldA

rt |

Eph

emer

al A

rts

7

Apr–Jun 2008 | w

ww

.icaf.org

a museum is ephemeral art, because ephemeral art is created to last for only a few days, hours, or even minutes. Sometimes the evidence that an ephemeral work existed at all is in a photograph or a written record or a videotape.

| Vicki Daiello |

What is special about ephemeral art? Ephemeral artwork raises questions about the relationship

of permanence and value of art. Does art have to be permanent in order to be meaningful or

important to people? Comparing artwork that is made to last a long time to artwork that is

temporary makes me wonder if artists approach making art with different processes in mind or if

people who are looking at the art see the two types differently. To answer these questions, let us

reflect on the contrasting natures of permanence and ephemeral in both creating art and viewing

art. To help think about these different qualities, let me share the art process that I have when

making art using metals that will last for a long time in contrast to the temporary nature of the

beautiful yet short-lived chalk drawings of United Kingdom street artist, Julian Beever. As an

artist working with metal sculpture and computer images to create jewelry and intricate

boxed books, I am sensitive to art-making materials and processes. I am aware of

transforming simple sheets of metal into complex structures as a challenge that

requires care and focus. Creating art with metal is a vivid sensory experience—

bending and welding pieces of sterling silver, brass, or copper to construct a

hinged box, which is demanding on muscles. The smell of sanded and

chemically-treated metal fills the work studio. I hear rhythmic music when I

am sawing and hammering. CONTINUES ON PAGE 8…

“Secret History” by Vicki Daiello

Have you heard it said that works of art “must stand the test of time” before they can be considered masterpieces? For some people, only works of art that are old can be great or meaningful. Some people also might think that in order for a work of art to be meaningful, many art critics have to have written about it or many people have to know about the artwork. These particular ways

of judging art may be useful for some artwork but

not for all. On the other hand, some art is not made

to last forever; this is ephemeral art.

When something is ephemeral it lasts for a short

period of time and then is gone. For example, you

might remember walking outside after a rain to see

a rainbow in the sky. Your memory of the rainbow

may last for many weeks, months, or years, but

the actual rainbow that you saw in the sky was only

there for a short time, perhaps a few minutes.

Some artists have created works of art that are

intended to be temporary. Sometimes these

ephemeral works encourage us to think about the

concept of time. Some artists create ephemeral art to display in galleries and museums

while other artists create works of art that are meant to be seen outdoors in a natural setting.

Ephemeral works are often seen by only a few people—the artist or witness (curator, archivist,

researcher, and observer). The artist must capture the work by photograph or video tape so

that other people can know about them after they are gone.

There are artists who are well-known for their ephemeral artwork. Two such artists are

Dominique Mazeaud and Andy Goldsworthy. Their works have been exhibited, discussed,

and written about for years, but the actual works of art they create do not last long.

One of Dominique Mazeaud’s most famous ephemeral pieces was called “The Great

Cleansing of the Rio Grande River.” This work took seven years to create but did not exist

beyond its creation. Mazaeud first intended the work to be “a monthly ritual to clean up the

river” by picking up trash and objects in the riverbed. Each month Mazaeud walked along

the river and removed objects that other people had discarded. Performance artworks, such

as this one by Dominique Mazeaud, are not long lasting and are not performed frequently.

An artist may use one’s own body or a group of people as materials in their performance art,

an art form that is ephemeral.

Although some of his sculptures are permanent, another artist who is known for making

ephemeral art is Andy Goldsworthy. Like Mazaeud, Goldsworthy creates works of art in

nature. Goldsworthy’s art is different from Mazeaud’s in that he uses materials found in

nature—twigs, stones, leaves, rocks, ice, and snow—to create sculptures. He does not use

glue, nails, or other materials to join the parts of his sculptures together. Many of Goldworthy’s

outdoor artwork eventually disappears from the natural effects of sun, rain, wind, and time.

For example, the sculptures he creates with large pieces of frozen river, pond ice, or icicles

eventually melt when they are exposed to the sun. Goldsworthy knows in advance that these

changes will occur but still chooses to make art, even knowing they will be gone, sometimes

in a few moments. It is the process of playing with nature that is fascinating and inspirational

and valuable to Goldsworthy; the goal is not to necessarily keep his art forever.

Ephemeral art makes us think about time and helps give meaning to viewers because we will

consider and value the artwork, knowing that it will be gone instead of taking it for granted

because it will always exist. Although it is made to last for a short time, our memories of

these fleeting works and their influence about the way we think about art and time may leave

a deep and lasting impression.

us to think about the nature of permanence

and impermanence in the world. Many of us

would like to think that the words we write,

the images we paint, the photographs and

videos we make, and the music we record will

exist for a very long time, perhaps forever.

However, ephemera in the arts remind us that

it is not necessary to preserve an object or

experience forever in order to learn from it or

enjoy it. Body paintings, sand castles, or even

fireworks may fade or be brief but are no less

meaningful works of art than the art you see

in museums and galleries.

Ephemeral art is special because it requires

that we pay attention to the small and

beautiful moments that unfold in life,

celebrating the everyday.

Loat, S. (2006). Pavement Picasso. BBC Birmingham. British Broadcasting Corporation, London, UK. Retrieved October 2, 2007, from www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/content/articles/2006/01/27/pave-ment_picasso_feature.shtl< http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/content/articles/2006/01/27/pavement_picasso_feature.shtml>

The Secret History, 2001; Sculpture and book. Sterling silver, copper, digital images on paper and acetate, poetry

How to Live at the Edge of This Wildness (detail), 2002; Neckpiece. Sterling silver, leather, digital photographs on paper, semi-precious stones.

This Language Lives Underwater, 2001; Sculpture, text, digital image. Steel, glass, sterling silver, semi-precious stones, digital images and text on acetate.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7…

| B. Stephen Carpenter, II |

Visualizing Time

Ephe

mer

al A

rt:

9

Apr–Jun 2008 | w

ww

.icaf.org

“Edge of Wildness” by Vicki Daiello

8

Chi

ldA

rt |

Eph

emer

al A

rts

Even though they are world famous artists, if one were to look for a name by which to call their art, Christo and Jeanne-Claude would be comfortable with the label, “environmental art.” This label suits their work well not only because they often create their artwork in a specific location but they are also environmentally responsible, as they restore the location to its original condition, but with two exceptions.

One exception is Valley Curtain in Rifle, Colorado, between Grand Junction and Glenwood Spring, where a group of workers fastened an orange curtain made of woven nylon fabric in the Grand Hogback Mountain Range. The Valley Curtain project took 28 months to finish. On August 11, 1972, twenty-eight hours after completing the Valley Curtain, a gale estimated at 60 miles per hour made it necessary to start the removal. The owners of the east slope and west slope of the valley in which the work was installed asked that Christo and Jeanne-Claude leave the main foundations in the mountain as a memento and said they would be sad if it was removed. So, Christo and Jeanne-Claude left the main foundations of the work installed in the mountain at the landowner’s request.

The second exception is Surrounded Islands, a project in which the artists did not put back the forty-two tons of garbage from the beaches of the islands in the Biscayne Bay of Miami, Florida, which they had removed in order to create the work. Eleven of the islands were surrounded with pink woven polypropylene fabric covering the surface of the water,

use of fabric or cloth highlights a fragile, sensuous, and temporary nature in their art.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s artwork embraces process but first it involves their vision, which comes from either Christo or Jeanne-Claude. Christo makes drawings to help visualize their ideas. By the completion of a project, Christo has made many drawings in order to clearly outline the project in such detail that the finished project can be created on location as it appears on paper. These preparatory drawings, collages, and scale models show the evolution of the details of the project, the development and crystallization of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s initial idea. The preparatory works reflect the years of research Christo and Jeanne-Claude have done about the location and information about the site, the people who use that area, and the technical details of the structure.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude describe the actual installation of their projects as the “hardware” part of their work and describe the preparation and drawings as the “software.” The software period is the time during which the project exists in the form of Christo’s preparation drawings and in the imagination of both artists, their collaborators,

Christo and Jeanne-Claude| Carrie Foix |

11

Apr–Jun 2008 | w

ww

.icaf.org

10

Chi

ldA

rt |

Eph

emer

al A

rts

Christo and Jeanne-Claude choose part of an environment in which to make their art and people then see the whole environment with fresh eyes, even after the artwork has been removed, for it remains in the memories of people who have viewed the transformed environment.

floating and extending out from each island into the bay. There were eleven islands, but on two occasions, two islands were surrounded together. The fabric was sewn to follow the contours of the islands.

The Surrounded Islands were designed to be seen from the buildings, all around the Biscayne Bay, from the bridges, from the roads, by boat, and also from the air. The shiny pink fabric was in harmony with the growing tropical plants and grass on the island, the light of the Miami sky, and the colors of the shallow waters of the bay. Their

Christo and Jeanne-Claude are artists who work together and create large-scale environmental works. These works are temporary and they are removed from the site where they are installed, typically after about two weeks. Christo and Jeanne-Claude choose part of an environment in which to make their art and people then see the whole environment with fresh eyes, even after the artwork has been removed, for it remains in the memories of people who have viewed the transformed environment.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude at “The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979–2005” in February 2005. Photo: Wolfgang Volz. © Christo and Jeanne-Claude 2005

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Valley Curtain, Rifle, Colorado,1970–1972Photo: Wolfgang Volz. © Christo and Jeanne-Claude 1972

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979–2005 Photo: Wolfgang Volz. © Christo and Jeanne-Claude 2005

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979–2005 Photo: Wolfgang Volz. © Christo and Jeanne-Claude 2005

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979–2005 Photo: Wolfgang Volz. © Christo and Jeanne-Claude 2005

and all of the people from whom they must obtain permissions to create their work. It sometimes takes Christo and Jeanne-Claude many years, sometimes decades, to receive permission to build their work in some locations.

The environmental art of Christo and Jeanne-Claude has elements of painting, sculpture, architecture and urban planning. As they explain, “Nobody talks about a painting before it is painted and nobody talks about a sculpture before it is sculpted.” Architecture and urban planning, however, are always discussed before they are constructed. Many people talk about the possibility of a new bridge, highway, or airport before those are built.

Similarly, many people discuss Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s environmental art projects before they are installed. While Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s work draws the public into the process before it is built, the public responds to the work. The public does not shape the work, but their comments and ideas about the proposed work help determine whether the artists receive the necessary permits and are allowed to proceed with the project.

There is an important difference between Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s works of art and typical architecture and urban planning. Christo and Jeanne-Claude pay for their works of art with their own money. They sell their art to museums, art collectors, art dealers, and galleries. The money from the sale of Christo’s original drawings is used to pay all the expenses of the preparation, completion, maintenance and removal of their projects, such as the materials, labor, shipping, insurance, engineering, staff, rentals, and legal expenses. The reason that Christo and Jeanne-Claude pay for their projects themselves is because they want to work in total freedom, which is why they never accept grants or sponsors.

Throughout the millennium, for 5000 years, artists have tried to input a variety of different qualities into their works of art. They have used different

materials: marble, stone, bronze, wood, fresco and paint. They have created mythological and religious images, figurative and abstract images. They have tried to do bigger or smaller works and a lot of different qualities. But there is one quality they have never used, and that is the quality of love and tenderness that human beings have for what does not last. For instance, they have love and tenderness for childhood because they know it will not last. Christo and Jeanne-Claude wish to donate this quality of love and tenderness to their work, as an additional aesthetic quality. The fact that the work does not remain creates an urgency to see it. For instance, if someone were to say, “Oh, look on the right, there is a rainbow,” one would never answer, “I will look at it tomorrow.”

| Mira Reisberg, Ph. D. |

A heartfelt hug, a warm smile, the flash of a red Cardinal bird, these are ephemeral moments that touch us, sometimes briefly, sometimes profoundly, often not acknowledged as the treasures they are. We live in a time and world where many people feel compelled to work more and more at a rapid pace. By valuing things over process we lose the value in experience and the chance to catch an ephemeral moment. Therefore, we shortchange ourselves, communities, and world.

Fortunately, art provides a means to connect with the ephemeral on deeper practical, spiritual, and emotional levels. Many environ-mental artists’ performances, installations, land art, and children’s picture books help us to explore the ephemeral. Place-based educator David Sobel describes how important it is for children to learn to love their environment before being asked to heal it (1997), while Richard Luov documents many children’s fear and alienation from the natural world (2005).

Artists, such as Andy Goldsworthy, can assist with these concerns. Goldsworthy is known for his amazing site-specific art, where he manipulates pieces of ice before sunrise, using only his bare hands and saliva to weave a form between the branches of a winter’s tree just in time to see the sun shine through the ice in a quiet and a beautiful moment, showing hours of patient application, skill, and vision that one cannot help but be awe-inspired. This work exists for a short period of time before disappearing with time or weather. However, his work has been documented in a film called Andy Goldsworthy — Rivers and Tides: Working with Time (Riedelsheimer, 2001), as well as in several coffee table books (Goldsworthy, 1990, 2004; Goldsworthy & Friedman, 2004).

By taking children out of the classroom and into their local environments, art teachers can help students engage in ephemeral art-making projects through which they learn about both their local natural world and other sources of enjoyment beyond shopping at the mall, watching television, or playing on the computer. By spending time outside in the wilderness (if available), parks, or even a school or teacher’s garden, teachers can help students connect with nature, developing a relationship out of respect instead of obligation.

Inspired by Goldsworthy’s work, students can gather materials to make outdoor installations in nature; draw with sticks in the earth; make pigments from grinding rocks to paint other rocks or to place inside holes in the ground to form small colored pools; or make nature mobiles to hang in trees for the birds to enjoy. Similar to Goldsworthy, the teacher can document students’ work; however, the point of the art-making often is making the art, an ephemeral moment connecting with oneself, with others, and with what David Abram calls the “more-than-human world” (1996).

They make their art because they believe it will be joyful and beautiful.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude never create the same artwork twice—for example, they have already surrounded islands, and they will never surround other islands. They may decide on an urban or a rural environment but never choose a place that is deserted. They want places that are used by people or managed by people for human beings.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude create their projects for themselves, but the fact that many people will also see their work is a bonus for them. They make their art because they believe it will be joyful and beautiful.

For further information, please visit www.christojeanneclaude.net.

12

Chi

ldA

rt |

Eph

emer

al A

rts

13

Apr–Jun 2008 | w

ww

.icaf.org

Touch

ing th

e Ephem

eral M

oment

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: 13,000 Oil Barrels, Indoor Installation and Exhibition, Gasometer. Oberhausen, Germany 1999 Photo: Wolfgang Volz. © Christo 1995

Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Surrounded Islands, Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida 1980–1983Photo: Wolfgang Volz. © Christo 1983

| Melissa Chapin |

Ice is nice…most people would think that for art it would be the most ephemeral or temporary substance, but in the north, ice lasts for months. Art that is made from ice is beautiful because it traps light, magnifying and reflecting the light. Children who live up north have come to love the wonderful art that can be made from ice. Winter ice art galleries can be found in many northern countries such as China and Russia. In one city, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America, young people are learning to make their own ephemeral ice sculptures, and love working with ice because it is temporary.

Fairbanks, Alaska, is home to the World Ice Art Championships, an event organized by Ice Alaska that takes place every March. Artists come from all over the world (France, China, Russia, Japan, Finland, Morocco, and Malaysia are just a few of the countries) to create huge sculptures of ice, some as high as a two-story house, in large scenes with magnificent dragons, delicate butterflies, or shining knights in armor. Before the competition, the sculptors practice their skills creating a big Kids Park with ice slides, mazes with secret rooms, playhouses, and animals. Each year the park has a theme, for example “Jur-ice-ic Park,” (with dinosaurs), “Sugar and Spice and Every-

14

Chi

ldA

rt |

Eph

emer

al A

rts

15

Apr–Jun 2008 | w

ww

.icaf.org

thing Ice” (with ice sculpture candies). This year’s theme is “Celebrating the North,” in honor of the International Polar Year.

Every year, the schools bring students to this ice art gallery and amusement park. Sculptors have been visiting the schools and teaching classes in ice sculpture for about fifteen years. The idea of a Junior Ice Art Championship for high school students was a natural outgrowth of this program, and will hold its third competition this year.

How do the young sculptors feel about the fact that their art is ephemeral? Tori Middelstadt, who won Third Place, Realistic Category in the 2007 Junior Ice Art Championship writes: “…no art lasts forever. Working with ice gives you a new creative outlet. The ice is a special product to work with and it allows for mistakes. The ice is forgiving but at the same time, it shows impurities. I like to work with the ice because of that unique balance…as an artist I tend to get tired of my work so it is sad that the ice melts but at the same time I can just move on and create something new.” [SIC]

As the ice melts, the water runs back into the pond that gave the ice, waiting over the summer for the next year to be frozen and sculpted again into new masterpieces to delight the children of Fairbanks.

“Art that is made from ice is beautiful because it traps light, magnifying and reflecting the light.”

Art from Ice

Tori Middelstadt and Emily Scarmuzzi work on their sculpture, 2007 Junior Ice Art Championship, 3rd Place Realistic, Sourdough. Photographer, Tula Belton

Sourdough (day shot), 3rd Place Realistic, by Tori Middelstadt and Emily Scarmuzzi. Photographer, Tula Belton

16

Chi

ldA

rt |

Eph

emer

al A

rts

17

Apr–Jun 2008 | w

ww

.icaf.org

interview

wit

h

sculpture

artist,

LEGO®

Nathan Sawaya

• Do you consider your “art by the brick” sculptures (figures created with LEGO bricks) to be ephemeral — in the sense that they may be displayed in a public space for a short period of time before being dismantled, taken away, or removed?

The sculptures in my museum exhibit, The Art of the Brick, are large-scale pieces that are created solely out of LEGO bricks. I do glue the bricks together so that the sculptures can be shipped around the world without damage. Without the glue, I would imagine that the works would be ephemeral in that they would definitely not remain together over time.

Although a bunch of my works are on permanent display in certain museums, most of my works do not stay on permanent display in public space as they move from venue to venue. These works could be considered ephemeral because they are removed over time.

• Following on the previous question, if you consider your “art by the brick” to be ephemeral, why do you create art that will not be permanent?

I do not create art with the goal of being immortal. That is, I realize that my art will not stand the ultimate test of time; otherwise I would use a much more permanent, long-lasting medium. I create art for myself and for the awe it inspires in others, so the fact that it may be considered ephemeral does not influence the creative process.

• How does your art being ephemeral affect the process of making art?

When I am creating art, it is to express what I am feeling, and I do not focus on whether the final piece will be permanent. I would imagine that when children create

artwork, they are doing so for the joy of creating and not with the idea that the artwork will remain permanent.

• What do you hope to communicate with the audience through your sculptures?

I hope to inspire others to explore their creativity. I have received countless letters and e-mails from people who have told me that after seeing my museum exhibit they have gone home to create with LEGO themselves, which I think is amazing.

• How delicate is your art? Can you transport it or do you have to “re-make” each time, for a new location?

I glue all of my sculptures together so that they can be transported safely. Sometimes I build the larger sculptures in sections so that they can be taken apart to get through doorways. I then have to re-install the sculpture at the next venue.

Of course, since my sculptures are built out of LEGO bricks, they can be a bit delicate. I work with some great art shipping companies to make sure everything stays together.

• Does the installation take on a different meaning by changing its location, for example?

I try and keep the meanings of my work within the sculpture so that the location is not a major factor. At this point, I know that the sculptures I am creating will be on tour being exhibited in many different venues, so I build works that can be enjoyed in different locations.

• Does ephemeral art change the way you perceive art or what you consider to be artwork?

No, I do not think the permanence of a work has anything to do with whether it is art or not. When a child is building with LEGO bricks, that creation is artwork, even though it might be taken apart minutes later. The process of creating is what is important.

• As a lawyer, how can the artist protect his or her Intellectual Property Rights regarding his/her ephemeral art?

Although I was a corporate attorney for a few years before I became a full-time artist, I did not practice intellectual property (IP) law. I would recommend that any artist seek the advice of an IP attorney with regard to protecting their works.

• Does ephemeral art have any contribution to make in the debate for Intellectual Property Rights versus open-and-free systems?

As an artist, I would hope that artwork would be protected by intellectual property law whether or not the work was ephemeral.

18

Chi

ldA

rt |

Eph

emer

al A

rts

19

Apr–Jun 2008 | w

ww

.icaf.org

Día de Muertos is a festive few days in which the dead are honored and remembered in a joyful way. Death in Mexican

tradition is a natural part of life and therefore it is said that on the night of the 31st of October through the night of

the 1st of November, the dead come to visit amongst the living to share and to celebrate with them.

In order to entice the dead to visit each home or tomb, an altar is set up to welcome and honor those that come from the heavens. The altar is adorned

with zempasuchitl (a type of marigold) and many other types of flowers. These flowers are typically in season and

have the characteristic that they maintain their freshness for two to three days, even without water. They are bright orange

and a have a scent that perfumes the air in the markets and later the homes of those who welcome their dead. Many motifs are made with the

flowers from crosses to pre-Hispanic designs. Some are carpets to show the dead their way to the altar while others are for beauty. The flowers give the altar and the festivities

a sense of peace and joy.

Another important element for the altars is the papel picado, brightly-colored papers that are designed to illustrate the character of the person who has died. In pre-Hispanic times, the Aztec culture used papel picado to cover their dead and accompany them to the after-life. Nowadays, the papel picado are cut into the shapes of the qualities that have defined the honored person who has died. For example, they may be the Catrina (a woman that is dressed in her best outfit), the Musician, the Dancer, or Death itself. All of these are skeletons that are adorned with flowers and details that make the characters cheerful and each paper a work of art that will decorate the altar for a couple of days.

As an offering to the dead, the living make the delicious dishes that were the deads’ favorite and place them on the altar. These will be shared with the living, as the food is eaten on 2nd of November, as well as the pan de muerto (bread of the dead, a sweet bread made for this occasion with bones made from dough placed in a decorative way).

For the children, this celebration of death has an extra activity. On the 1st of November, they go around asking for their calaverita (tiny skull). People give them money so they can buy a sugar skull with their name on it and then eat it. At the markets one can find all sorts of skulls, big and small, made out of sugar, chocolate or amaranth, all decorated in detail with brightly-colored sugar to sweeten the senses.

The entire festival, from the night of the 31st of October to the day of the 2nd of November is a work of art, artwork that despite its temporary nature transcends life itself.

…Día de Muertos celebrates and embraces imagination, creativity, and tradition that are intertwined to produce artful expression…

| Clementina Ferrer |Every culture has its own vision about death and

often there is mystery about what happens when

and after someone or something dies. Depending

upon each culture’s vision, there are as many

explanations of what happens as there are different

cultural beliefs. In Mexico, a unique vision exists; The Day of the

Dead or Día de Muertos celebrates and embraces imagination, creativity,

and tradition that are intertwined to produce artful expressions every year

that only lasts for a couple of days.

20

Chi

ldA

rt |

Eph

emer

al A

rts

21

Apr–Jun 2008 | w

ww

.icaf.org

Most beautiful things do not last: the scarlet leaves of an autumn maple, northern lights, the song of a

thrush on a summer evening, or the taste of chocolate birthday cake. The world is full of flowers that

bloom for just one day. Music is by nature fleeting—we cannot catch it, and can only enjoy it while it

is there. So if a flower or a feast can be enjoyed for just a moment or an hour, why not enjoy visual art

in the same way? Does art have to last forever? Can it be something that just lasts

an hour or a day? Fine Art does not have to be made of paint and paper, clay or bronze. I love flowers

and leaves, birdsong and beaches, so these are the things with which I work. I also love to make things.

Creating something gives me a deep pleasure and I do not need to keep what I have made.

Because I love being on the beach, I once spent eight months making art almost every day on the

seashores of Victoria, Vancouver and Saltspring Island in British Columbia, Canada. I called the project

Gesture, as I wanted it to be about a moment of movement—a gesture where nothing is final. Sometimes

I drew patterns in the sand with a special wooden rake, so the sand looked like a Japanese garden. The

tide would come up and wash the designs away, or people would walk through them, but that was not

a problem. I expected it. Either, I would make the image again or I would do something different. One

of my favorite projects was to collect a basket of the most common empty seashells and then make

shapes in the sand with them. I would lay the shells out in spirals, squares, circles, triangles, lines and

wiggly waves. They looked beautiful placed like this. If I had time before the tide washed them away I

would photograph it, but often I did not have time, and the images I made would only have been seen

by forty or fifty people who were out walking the beach that day. But that was the point of doing these

artworks on a public beach—I wanted people to see these ephemeral artworks outside in the real world,

not just as photographs.

I have also made temporary artworks indoors. I made arrangements

of stones, leaves, and shells on the walls or floors of art galleries.

When the show was over, I collected everything up and took it back

from where it came. I took the leaves back to the forest and the

stones back to the beach. I enjoyed making the work and having

other people seeing how the colors and shapes of stones look like

when they are hanging on a wall, or what the brilliant whiteness of

shell pieces look like on a velvety black carpet. Placing leaves on a

wall, or making a mandala out of flower petals is exciting.

Do you want to try making art this way?

| Diana Lynn Thompson |

Making Ephemeral Art

Photos used with permission of the artist, Diana Lynn Thompson

“Diagonal Cockles”

“Nest of Grey Stones”

“Ten Lines at Jericho”

“Gyre”

“Release” Circle of green stones at The Kelowna Art Gallery.

The first step is to create the mast of the boat. To do this, fold an 8” x 11” sheet of pa-per in half across the width and press the fold down to create a sharp, neat fold.

Fold the paper in half across its width again and press the fold down to create a sharp and neat fold.

The next step is to create the sails of the boat. To make the sails, unfold the second fold. Make sure the first fold is facing away from you. Then bring the right

hand corner down to meet the crease down the center of the paper. Make a sharp neat fold. Repeat with the left corner. This will create the sails of the boat and look like a big triangle with two flaps at the bottom of the paper.

Then you can make the body of your boat. (Port= left and Starboard=right) To make the body you must first take one of the flaps and fold it up onto the tri-angle (mast and sails). Then

turn over the paper and fold the other flap onto the triangle (mast and sails).

It should now look like a paper hat. Open it up and place your two thumbs in-side the paper hat. Pull the sides of the hat away from each other. This should

create a diamond shape.

The magic is about to happen, but first you have to create a triangle shape. Make sure the open flaps of the diamond are facing you. Take one flap at the bottom and fold it up to the top of

the diamond. Turn the paper over and repeat.

This is the last stage before the magic happens! You now have a tiny triangular hat. All you have to do is put your thumbs inside the bottom of the triangle and pull out the sides. Flatten it

to create a diamond as before.

Hold the diamond shape so that the folds are vertical and you can see the small tip of the mast inside. Pull the two triangles apart at the same time from the tip of the diamond. You will

start to see more of the mast and then your paper boat will appear like magic!

Last of all, you can decorate your boat in any way you wish by using water-based paint. Inside of your boat write your message of good will.

How to Make a Paper Boat Sculpture

22

Chi

ldA

rt |

Eph

emer

al A

rts

Here is how to make your own

paper boat in 9 easy steps:

Have you ever made a boat out of paper for yourself or that could be part of a giant sculpture?

We know the true story about a girl who made a paper boat and later could not fall asleep until she went to see her paper boat. Her parents brought her down to an unused harbor while she was in her pajamas. It was late at night and very dark. As she got closer she could see hundreds and hundreds of beautifully painted paper boats floating on a “sea of blue light.” Walking among them, she was excited when she saw how many different colors and designs there were—blue ones, red ones, patterned ones, some with anchors drawn on them and some even had sails…..

The boats were arranged as one big fish or maybe two….or three!

Then, she saw hers—she found it!

Every time she passes the empty harbor she remembers that magical night with the paper boats, and how it made a lot of people smile.

| Andrew Crummy ,Yvonne Murphy, and Joanna Mawdsley |

Where was her paper boat?

1

2

3

4

5

6

Now, the magic unfolds…

7

8

9. Make lots and lots of them!Find a flat grassy field and pin all your paper boats to the ground and

create a giant shape like a fish or a whale or any shape you want.

The paper boats project is part of World Community Arts Day 2008 17 02 08 and The Three Harbours Arts Festival 30 May – 8 June 2008.

One thousand plus paper boats made by 1,000 plus children from local schools.

23

Apr–Jun 2008 | w

ww

.icaf.org

If you were an archivist, how would you document the following works of art?* a dance performance* a magazine* a landscape installation* an outdoor mural* an artist’s interactive website* a Mardi Gras parade* a DJ’s multimedia session (sound and images)

| Claire Eike |

We usually think of architects, painters, and sculptors who create work to last for a long time. Sometimes they create objects or events that are not intended to be permanent. Think about graffiti artists who spray paint walls that they know will be covered over or Buddhist monks making intricate mandala sand paintings that will be swept up at a closing ceremony. Being temporary is part of the work; it contributes to the meaning of the work.

I built my dream sand castle on a beach in San Diego. It was low tide, and I had to fetch buckets of water from the ocean to fill the tiny moat. When it was finished, I took a picture of my castle with an old-fashioned camera; this was long ago before they had digital cameras. Then the tide came in and washed it all away. I saved the snapshot but now it, too, is gone. Both the castle and the photograph exist only in my memory. They were ephemeral.

The word ephemeral means “beginning and ending in a day.” We have come to use it to describe anything that is short-lived or brief. For instance, a musical performance is ephemeral. Although the same musical work may be performed again and again, each performance is unique and short-lived. It may be documented by an audio or video recording, but the recording never fully recreates the experience of being there in person.

A related word is ephemera, or “printed matter of passing interest.” The ephemera from a performance would include things such as posters, programs, and tickets that were printed

24

Chi

ldA

rt |

Eph

emer

al A

rts

25

Apr–Jun 2008 | w

ww

.icaf.org

“Being temporary is part of the work; it contributes to the meaning of the work.”

Here Today,

Gone Tomorrow: for the event. All of these things—recordings and ephemera—become part of the historical record.

Librarians and archivists help to collect and preserve the history of our culture. Historical records can be factual or merely hints about what happened, clues that must be interpreted thoughtfully by future researchers. When we document something, we try to be accurate. Since artists often create works that are complex and ambiguous, as well as short-lived, preserving an accurate record can be challenging.

Anything from a hand-written note, a drawing, or a photograph to a computer file, a podcast, or a website can provide a record. Unfortunately, any of these may also become ephemeral, and information may have to be transferred to different formats as materials deteriorate or as equipment and technologies change. If I could find my photograph of the sand castle, I could save it on my computer. I could then print the new image out on paper or share it on a website. Transferring records to other formats is part of the strategy for saving them. If one format becomes out of date, we have to find another.

Trying to collect, record, and preserve the history of ephemeral works of art can be hard but these unique works of art are worth the effort.

One story took him ten years to make, but he only worked on it one day each year—Halloween. The story is

about his daughter, Lydia, and her Halloween costumes. It began when she was three and it ended when she

turned twelve and wanted to go to parties with her friends rather than dress up for trick-or-treating. Her father

recalls that Lydia always had clear ideas of whom she wanted to be on Halloween, based on something she had

read or a movie she had seen. Her mother sewed her costumes. On Halloween nights, in their living room, her

father set up his camera, lighting, and a dark background. He took many pictures of Lydia, trying to get “just

the right moment” as she played her character. Then he saved the ones he thought were best.

When Lydia was Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile, she was nine years

old, and when she was Audrey Hepburn, a famous actress, she was

eleven. Lydia will never again be nine or eleven. However, due to

the invention of photography, she and her parents can relive their

Halloween memories through these pictures. Although she is now

an adult, we can see a young girl as she was on Halloween in

1998 and 2000. We have permanent views of the ways she was

in those fractions of seconds when her father clicked his camera

years ago. We have time to look at the details of her costumes.

We can notice how she changed in two years. We can study her

expressions and wonder what she was thinking when she posed

as Cleopatra and as Audrey Hepburn.

| Terry Barrett, Ph. D. |

Eliot Porter made photographs of things that seem still, like beauty

in the natural environment, but he said, “Never put off taking

the picture…nothing is permanent. Everything is changing.”

Photographers are intrigued by time. They are fascinated that they

can “freeze” an instant of fleeting time with the click of a camera.

They sometimes show us things we cannot see with our ordinary

eyes. In the early days of photography, Eadweard Muybridge made

thousands of sequences of photographs of people and animals as

they moved so that we can actually see, for example, how a horse’s

legs move when it gallops. Harold Edgerton was a scientist who

made photographs of even faster moving things that the unaided eye could

not see, such as bullets flying through the air. Photographers know that the world is in motion and that

everything changes from second to second, moment to moment, day to day, season to season, and year to year.

Tony Mendoza is a contemporary photographer interested in the temporal. He bought his first camera when he

was eleven and has been taking pictures ever since. He shows his photographs in books and art museums. He

makes photographs of subjects that are close to his life: his family, including himself, his pets, and flowers in his

backyard. He likes to tell stories with his photographs and often uses words with his pictures.

Domino Day and Domino Art

Domino Day is a world-record attempt to topple the most number of dominoes. Each year it is led by Robin Paul Weijers, who is known as “Mr. Domino.” He is from the Nether-lands and owns Weijers Domino Productions, which holds the current Guinness world record for toppling the most number of dominoes. Every year on Domino Day, teams of domino lovers from around the world

| Amanda Lichtenwalner |work together on domino sculptures where they make detailed designs in order to set it up just right so that all the dominoes in the display will fall in a chain reaction caused by toppling just one starting domino. They start building the sculptures in advance, but topple them on Domino Day.

You can learn more about Mr. Domino and his company as well as Domino day on these websites:

http://www.dominodomain.com/Mr-domino-business

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domino_Day

http://www.dominodomain.com/page/145

the EphemeralPhotographing

For more on Eadweard Muybridge see the National Museum of American History, Freeze Frame: Eadweard Muybridge’s Photography in Motion: http://americanhistory.si.edu/muybridge/index.htm

For more on Harold Edgerton see MIT Museum, Flashes of Inspiration: http://web.mit.edu/museum/exhibits/flashinsp.html

For more on Eliot Porter see the Amon Carter Museum, Eliot Porter: The Color of Nature: http://www.cartermuseum.org/edu_guides/porter/index.htm

For more on Tony Mendoza go to: http://www.tonymendozaphoto.com/

Terry Barrett is a Professor of Art Education at The Ohio State University. He teaches people who want to become art teachers, and he writes books about art for college students. http://arted.osu.edu/personnel/barrett.php

Lydia as Cleopatra, Halloween 1998 Photo: Tony Mendoza

Lydia as Audrey Hepburn, Halloween 2000 Photo: Tony Mendoza

International Child Art FoundationP.O. Box 58133Washington, DC 20037

Equip children to build a more just, prosperous, and

non-violent world by making a donation today to the

International Child Art Foundation—one of the world’s

premier organizations for children and member of

Children’s Charities of America. If you are a federal

employee, please select the ICAF (CFC #12018) as your

charity of choice this year. For the creative development

of children, subscribe to ChildArt magazine or make a

donation online at www.icaf.org.