Sand Art

Sand drawings are an ephemeral form of art. This paper compares two different

forms of sand art, that of Jim Denevan and the Navajo tribes. Although they use

different methods and techniques to create their sand drawings, Denevan and the

Navajos are very similar in other aspects of their artworks. These two art forms are

similar in the fact that they both use the sand drawings for healing or therapeutic

purposes. The Navajos sprinkle sand from the drawing onto the person for healing.

Denevan began drawing as a way to cope with his emotional family life. The image and

purpose of healing are not the only similarities between these two. The destruction of

their sand drawings are just as important as the image that is created in the first place.

Whether the sand is thrown back onto the ground (the Navajo) or the ocean washes it

away (Jim Denevan), in both cases the images are destroyed, thus creating a never-

ending connection to the land. However, their ephemeral existence can still be

remembered through photographic reproductions. By looking back on these sand

drawings and appreciating them, we can reconnect to the land.

Now a days sand arts have become a great way to express the opinions of masses. We are seeing sand arts depicting war victims, terrorist attack victims, violence victims, or simply social issues in societies. These sand arts have become the outcry of these unfortunate incidents and they have had a greater impact on the societies and on the face of them too.