Anyone who’s ever been to a beach has made designs in the sand with randomly collected pebbles. Now the Victoria and Albert Museum in London is encouraging beachgoers to put that artistic talent to work creating unique works of pebble art that will be displayed in an online world gallery of beach art.

Artist and weaver Sue Lawty, who often uses small stones in her work, devised the World Beach Project in association with the V&A. Lawty feels that the structure of rocks mirrors the structure of our planet:

“…whether stones are satisfyingly smooth… or like long thin fingers… or beautifully, almost purely round; whether they are knobbly, shiny, dull, crinkly, holey, patterned or plain, black or white – they reflect the language of their making i.e. how they look in this de-constructed state is as a direct result of their construction, probably millions of years ago. I find this exciting.”

World Beach Project, open to anybody, anywhere, of any age, was conceived as a global drawing project that speaks about time, place, geology and the instinct of touch. To participate, simply choose a beach where stones are readily available, make your pattern and record the work-in-progress and finished work of art with photographs. Later, upload the photographs to the V&A website to complete the project. Although drawings made on shorelines all over the world will inevitably be erased by the next tide or rain, the photographs will become a permanent record of the individual desire to make patterns. For more information, visit V&A’s World Beach Project website.

Rock art at Porth Ysgo Lleyn Peninsula Wales, UK July 2006

The above beach rock art was made by three families in between swimming, rock leaping, sand wrestling and catching the rays. Eventually, nearly everyone on the beach got involved. The evening tide just tickled the edges. Aside from a small creative streak and the energy to collect pebbles on the beach, the only requirements for submission are the name of the beach where the art was created and the year it was completed.

Credits: Video; Photo

Article by Barbara Weibel at Hole In The Donut Travels