There’s something intriguing about temporary art: from the ancient art of sand mandalas, representing the temporality of the universe, to paper clip sculptures, representing the temporality of office life. So much time put into something that’s here and then simply gone. Temporary art can be made out of almost anything: snow, food, sand, dryer lint. Perhaps its appeal is that we see ourselves in it: we too are temporary art. So much time put into something that’s here and then gone.
(Click on any image to enlarge it, or to start slide show)
The largest ice structure ever built
Pumpkin art (Artist: Villafane)
Sand Castle by Sue McGraw
Sand sculpture (Toshiko Hosaka)
A healthy face
Banana appeal
Chinese Ice Palace
Dirt painting
Sapporo Snow Festival
Latte painting
Sand Nativity
Mount Dustmore?
Rice bear with egg blanket
Paper Heads
Foam scene
Latte foam sculpture
Dirt art
Paper sculpture
Newspaper sculpture
Paper clip sculpture
Melting humans (Artist: Nele Azevedo)
Hot glue sculpture (Michelle Kong)
Leaf sculpture (Lorenzo Duran Silva)
Leave carving
Snow scene
Watermelon carvings
Sand sculpture (Artist: Hosaka)
Fried Egg Art 1
Fried Egg Art 2
Dirt dog and family
Stick art (Cornelia Konrad)
Paper sculpture
Leaf painting by Brad Kunkle
Dirt sculpture
Beach mandala
Lego, Legone
Lego: the escape
Lego: the return
Harbin Ice Festival, China
Sand Prophet
Candy wrapper art
Dryer lint art
Back to nature
Mitch Teemley 
those are awesome photos. I think i am going to google temporary art and see what else I find. Thanks Mitch!
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They’re all amazing. So sad that the elements make them temporary 😀
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Wow! Incredible. This is the way I think of the art of music-making. It is here and beautiful and then instantly gone.
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Live music, yes. As well as live theatre, dance, performance art, etc. There’s something about it, isn’t there?
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Fascinating! I want to see how each one was created, however… to me that is the most fascinating part of the art. The concept, the imagination, the determination, the commitment of effort and time, knowing full well the temporary nature of the amazingly beautiful finished work! Wonderful.
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Well said!
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My favorite temporary art is made out of food!
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They’re all so gorgeous. I can’t decide which one is my favorite.
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Liked and shared. Thank you !
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I’m honored.
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You’ re welcome, Sir.
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Saw a “temporary” artist at the Toastmasters Convention. Took a Stratocaster guitar and broke it into splinters. Then he took those broken pieces and made a composite of Kurt Cobane. Then he destroyed that! https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=Art+by+Phil+Hansen&fr=mcafee&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Falyssalaperna.files.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fbruce_final-617×347.jpg#id=123&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F1lYrEEXZQNQ%2Fmaxresdefault.jpg&action=click
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Ah, performance art, which is indeed temporary art. A very poignant metaphor. As a guitarist, it pains me to think of destroying a Strat, but then that’s part of the metaphor, as well.
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I know! Stratocaster? Silenced the music…broke my heart. He also tattooed bananas. I don’t know how I feel about that!
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Cool! Loved the dandelions! Amazing!
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I think the dandelions were my favorites as well.
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Reminds me a little bit of raising kids … all that beautiful work and time … and then they are gone (sorry about the melancholy… just took a kid to college)
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Ah, I understand completely, Heidi.
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Wow!
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Very cool ❤️
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So glad that temporary art can be preserved on film at least. What fascinating images in this collection! And I think you’ve hit on the perfect explanation of why we’re fascinated with temporary art, Mitch. It subconsciously gives value to US. I’m looking forward to the new, permanent me, when Jesus returns and all believers become like him (1 John 3:2-3). That transformation to perfection will be glorious beyond words, and last forever! Gives me goosebumps.
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Me too, Nancy!
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Yearly, our town tapes off several street blocks and holds chalk art competitions. Some of these artists work through the night by head lamps for days. Their images are incredibly detailed and filled with so much of themselves. We always look forward to going! Our whole town does!
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Very cool!
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