Richard Shilling is an artist who specializes in Land Art, a form of art which derives its design and inspiration from the natural materials in and around the site. Focusing primarily on sculptures, whose existence are often temporary, allowing for the natural elements to reclaim what he has created, Richard’s pieces are made and then carefully photographed to capture the pinnacle of the sculpture’s short life.
While each sculpture is unique to the time and place it is created, they all reflect the notion that design in nature is all around us. As a kid if you ever built a sand castle, only to watch it wash away with the rising tide, then you have participated in nature’s design. If you ever raked a pile of leaves, only to jump atop it and watch them fall to the ground again, then you have also participated in nature’s design. These moments of embracing design exist universally, and are worth the pause in the middle of an afternoon stroll to admire.
The next time you are out and about, stop and take a look at the trees above you, the rocks beneath your feet, the moss within the sidewalk cracks or the water running in the street, I bet their outward beauty will seem deliberately placed in front of you.
For more of his images, check out Richard Shilling’s website or flickr page. All images posted here are owned and protected by Richard Shilling.