One notable place for photographer Jonathan
was Whangamata where he spent numerous
holidays at the family bach. At Hauturu (aka
Clark Island) they created the immense star
mandala shown at left and above.
“We were blessed with a very low spring tide
which gave us a good beach canvas to work
from”, Jonathan said. “The island is famous
for the sand bar access of walking through
knee deep water, and I found it important to
somehow capture that too, by filming local
beach goers and paddle boarders crossing the
‘underwater bridge’.”
A major design site was Waikawau Bay where
five works were completed in all. Over 100
volunteers created a massive spiral with waves
and leafy vines (see next two pages). Other
peninsula areas shown below left were Lonely
Bay and Cooks Beach, with its ‘crop circle’ feel.
“The Coromandel presented us with so many
beach options that we could have spent
months there working on pieces,” Jonathan
adds. “The quality of the sand, the landform
with surrounding native bush, the nature of the
tides and the light are all critical ingredients to
designing and documenting the art. We got this
there...in abundance!”
FURTHER AFIELD INCLUDING
TA MOKO
DESIGN IN MOUNT MAUNGANUI
Further afield, Amador worked on Piha Beach
over several visits, the incredible 90 Mile
We wondered if this ‘Earthscape Artist’
designed and drafted the patterns before
upscaling them to the beach? He uses Google
to search for beaches to scout. Amador will
then normally sketch or draft each pattern
before recreating the grand design on the sand
– measuring, staking out, and sketching in key
lines and points.
“I rarely use rope,” he clarifies, “only when
circles are really large and need consistency
For other elements of the design, everything is
done using just my rake.” An adjustable-width
garden rake is used to draw lines with a set
thickness. The artist usually pulls the rake back
and at his side – an accomplished dancer, he
sweeps skillfully as he creates the patterns.
Although dozens of community members
may help create a massive piece as part of
a workshop, Andres himself can rake one of
these patterns in just a few hours time.
In NZ, Amador embraced Maori patterns (such
as the spiral koru) which he practiced on the
sands. “Having recently been in an organic
imperfection phase,” adds Andres, “this trip has
found me in a geometry revival. I am fascinated
by the Maori artwork that blends geometry so
beautifully with organic forms.”
HOW THEY ARE MADE:
TAPE MEASURES, RAKE BRUSHES AND MAORI MOTIFS
Left: A Maori-inspired sun
design works intentionally with
rocky obstacles on this tiny
sandy space on an outcropping
on 90 Mile Beach.
Below: “This artwork is a group
creation that I led for a memorial
for the friends of a boy who died
in an accident. I chose Maori
design elements in honour of the
boy’s Maori roots.”
Mt. Maunganui
Whangamata
Piha
continued from page 8
Beach (below), Maitai Bay, Karekare, Te Paki
sand dunes. and a beach-long design working
with Tauranga artists at Sandy Bay in Mount
Maunganui. The design was in collaboration
with
ta moko
artist and wood carver Pohe
Luttenberger, his brother Rikirau and son Tuks.
The chosen beach was at the base of this
sacred mountain as a tribute to it and the sea
life that sustained his people.
This project caught the attenton of Seven Sharp
that aired the feature on 4 April.
During the TV segment, Andres commented,
“Maori art has called me for a long time...
and I am showing them my world as they are
showing me theirs, so there is a melding....
Culture, on the beach”.
After the sand project is completed and seeing
the tide come in, Andres says to son Kavi, “We
know what is going to happen, eh? We get a
fresh canvas tomorrow. Yay!”
90 MileBeach
WWW.COROMANDELLIFE.CO.NZ11
Learn how to draw these shapes!
Check out the online tutorials at
www.Andresamadorarts.com/tutorials