Justin Bateman’s art is ephemeral, much like the colourful sand mandalas painstakingly crafted by Tibetan Buddhist monks and ritually dismantled once completed.
His stone mosaics, which he creates out of pebbles he finds only exist for the time of their creation before they are destroyed by being scattered back at their original location or eroded by the weather.
He records his land artworks only by taking photos with his smartphone, which he then shares on social media. He prefers presenting his work on Instagram rather than in a brick-and-mortar gallery as the pebbles act like pixels.
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In a society encouraging us to produce and consume more and more, he prefers to use less and have as little impact on nature as possible, leaving no trace of his presence.
“Embracing impermanence began as a test of my own spiritual practice,” he says. “Later, it became the best way to maintain the natural environment while creating art. “Each work is a small celebration of existence, its curious assembly, and its impermanence.”
“Embracing impermanence began as a test of my own spiritual practice. Later, it became the most appropriate way to maintain the natural environment while creating art.”
There are portraits of renowned personalities including George Washington, Nelson Mandela, Ho Chi Minh, Queen Elizabeth II, Pablo Picasso and Frida Kahlo, as well as iconic artworks such as David and The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, La Scapigliata by Leonardo da Vinci and Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer.
Justin describes the influence of classical art thus: “I enjoy recreating masters’ works using such a simple medium.” His work “bridges high art with low art by taking subjects traditionally created with bronze, marble, or expensive oil pigments and bringing them to the masses.”
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