G. Augustine Lynas
Encyclopedia
G. Augustine Lynas is a renowned sculptor of sand sand castles and other ephemeral
materials including snow. He also works in concrete, ceramic and most two dimensional media.
Mr. Lynas has been doing public sculptures for more than 50 years. He usually designs them spontaneously to be recycled by the tide
, encouraging emotional attachment to the disappearing art. When crowds form around his work, he uses the opportunity to remind his audience of the delicate ecology of the oceans and seashores. His works are usually representational, and often combine anatomical
forms with architecture
and landscape
. Some pieces are enormous, some small. A few are dry and low relief, while others are tall and highly detailed. Some employ optical illusion
s or gravity defying undercuts. His book and film, both titled "Sandsong", have been available through his website of the same name. Lynas has also created a sculpted concrete sand pit in Manhattan's Riverside Park where the sand and its container are similar in color and texture so that children can create sand sculptures which appear to alter the concrete sculptures. Mr. Lynas also works in other ephemeral materials including snow. In 1980 he was invited to build snow sculpture
in the athlete's village during the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY. More recently he has built concrete and bronze sculptures in five NYC playgrounds. Lynas has worked in NYC as a freelance designer since 1970. He has published a new book of photographs called The ABC's of Central Park, an Alphabet Guidebook available through LynasPress.
Ephemeral
Ephemeral things are transitory, existing only briefly. Typically the term is used to describe objects found in nature, although it can describe a wide range of things....
materials including snow. He also works in concrete, ceramic and most two dimensional media.
Mr. Lynas has been doing public sculptures for more than 50 years. He usually designs them spontaneously to be recycled by the tide
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
, encouraging emotional attachment to the disappearing art. When crowds form around his work, he uses the opportunity to remind his audience of the delicate ecology of the oceans and seashores. His works are usually representational, and often combine anatomical
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
forms with architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
. Some pieces are enormous, some small. A few are dry and low relief, while others are tall and highly detailed. Some employ optical illusion
Optical illusion
An optical illusion is characterized by visually perceived images that differ from objective reality. The information gathered by the eye is processed in the brain to give a perception that does not tally with a physical measurement of the stimulus source...
s or gravity defying undercuts. His book and film, both titled "Sandsong", have been available through his website of the same name. Lynas has also created a sculpted concrete sand pit in Manhattan's Riverside Park where the sand and its container are similar in color and texture so that children can create sand sculptures which appear to alter the concrete sculptures. Mr. Lynas also works in other ephemeral materials including snow. In 1980 he was invited to build snow sculpture
Snow sculpture
Snow sculpture is a sculpture form comparable to sand sculpture or ice sculpture in that most of it is now practiced outdoors, and often in full view of spectators, thus giving it kinship to performance art in the eyes of some. The materials and the tools differ widely, but often include hand...
in the athlete's village during the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY. More recently he has built concrete and bronze sculptures in five NYC playgrounds. Lynas has worked in NYC as a freelance designer since 1970. He has published a new book of photographs called The ABC's of Central Park, an Alphabet Guidebook available through LynasPress.
See also
- Sand art and playSand art and playSand art is the practice of modelling sand into an artistic form, such as a sand brushing, sand sculpture, sandpainting, or sand bottles...
- International festival of sand sculpture
- Granular materialGranular materialA granular material is a conglomeration of discrete solid, macroscopic particles characterized by a loss of energy whenever the particles interact . The constituents that compose granular material must be large enough such that they are not subject to thermal motion fluctuations...