Sand and Time

The Hourglass

An hourglass (sandglass, sand timer, sand clock, egg timer) measures the passage of a few minutes or an hour of time. It has two connected vertical glass bulbs allowing a regulated trickle of material from the top to the bottom. Once the top bulb is empty, it can be inverted to begin timing again. The name hourglass comes from historically common hour timing, Factors affecting the time measured include the amount of sand, the bulb size, the neck width, and the sand quality. 

The origin of the hourglass is unclear, although it may have been introduced to Europe by an 8th-century monk named Luitprand, who served at the cathedral in Chartres, France. It was not until the 14th century that the hourglass was seen commonly. The hourglass is believed to have originated in medieval Europe. This theory is based on the fact that the first written records of it were mostly from logbooks of European ships.Written records from the same period mention the hourglass, and it appears in lists of ships stores.

Hourglasses were very popular on board ships, as they were the most dependable measurement of time while at sea. Unlike the clepsydra, the motion of the ship while sailing did not affect the hourglass. The fact that the hourglass also used granular materials instead of liquids gave it more accurate measurements, as the clepsydra was prone to get condensation inside it during temperature changes. Seamen found that the hourglass was able to help them determine longitude, distance east or west from a certain point, with reasonable accuracy.

The hourglass also found popularity on land as well. As the use of mechanical clocks to indicate the times of events like church services became more common, creating a 'need to keep track of time', the demand for time-measuring devices increased. Hourglasses were essentially inexpensive, as they required no rare technology to make and their contents were not hard to come by, and as the manufacturing of these instruments became more common, their uses became more practical.

Hourglasses were commonly seen in use in churches, homes, and work places to measure sermons, cooking time, and time spent on breaks from labor.Because they were being used for more everyday tasks, the model of the hourglass began to shrink. The smaller models were more practical and very popular as they made timing more discreet.

The shape behind the hourglass has hardly any written evidence of why its external form is the shape that it is. The glass bulbs used, however, have changed in style and design over time. While the main designs have always been ampoule in shape, the bulbs were not always connected. The first hourglasses were two separate bulbs with a cord wrapped at their union that was then coated in wax to hold the piece together and let sand flow in between. It was not until 1760 that both bulbs were blown together to keep moisture out of the bulbs and regulate the pressure within the bulb that varied the flow. 

Hourglass also refers to a body shape of women. In this shape bust and hip are significantly large with narrow waist resembling the shape of an hourglass.

Sourced from: Wikipedia 

Reflection
I choose this video because I felt it was a great representation of how the movement of sand in an hourglass correlates well with the concept of representing time passing. It also allows for a person to see how sand can calculate time just like other natural elements. Hourglass are something that have been around for ages. Sand is one of those materials that has incredible diversity. There is something so powerful about watching the sand stream down in an hour glass. 

Sand & Creation

Simply put, sand is made of tiny particles of worn-down rock. These particles are picked up by wind, water or the ice in glaciers and left as sediment in the ocean or as sand dunes on land. The composition of sand varies and depends on the local rocks, but the most common material is silica -- more often known as quartz. Coral, lava rock and gypsum are other materials often found in sand. The size and texture of sand particles varies and can offer insight into where it came from. A very small grain of sand, for example, is easier for the wind to blow around and may have traveled a long distance. The roundness of the sand may provide a clue as to how it was formed. Bodies of water with strong bottom currents produced different particles of sand than the particles produced by sand that is transported by rivers or streams, which tend to be very round. The International Sand Collectors Society offers a chart with size classes (in millimeters) for sand and mud.

Sand dunes form when a lot of loose sand is in an area that also has little vegetation to stand in the way. With enough wind and some sort of obstacle to serve as a sort of blocking or gathering point for the blowing sand, the particles gather and form a dune. Sand dunes reproduce when two crescent-shaped dunes collide, thanks to a little encouragement from their matchmaker friend the wind. When a small dune runs into a larger one -- a very slow process that can take as long as a year -- the smaller one can pass through it. If the sand dune is unstable, the horns at each end of the crescent shape will break off and become two even smaller dunes. Researchers refer to this process as "breeding."

The tallest sand dunes in North America are at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Colorado. Visitors to the Great Sand Dunes National Park can see how the massive dunes formed from sediments deposited in a deep valley. Scientists have discovered that a huge lake probably once covered the valley and receded from climate change. The large sheet of sand blew with the southwest wind accumulated into a natural pocked formed by a combination of three mountain passes. Opposing wind directions helped create the vertical shape of the dunes

Sourced from: http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/what-is-sand-made-of

Sand of the world

Punalu'u Beach

Located in Hawaii. The beach has black sand made of basalt and created by the lava slowing into the ocean, which explodes as it reaches the ocean and cools. 
Source: wikipedia 

Papakolea Beach

Located in Hawaii this beach is also known as the green sand beach. There are only two green sand beaches in the world. The source of the green coloration of the beach sands is due to the olivine crystals which are winnowed from the 
eroding headland by the action of the sea.  
Source: wikipedia

Harbour Island, Bahamas

Located in Bahamas this beach is famous for its pink sand beaches, 

which are found all along the east side of the island. The sand is a composition of bits of broken coral, shells, minute rock and calcium carbonate from tiny marine invertebrates. The pink colour comes from tiny microscopic shelled animals called  known as foraminifera.
Sourced:http://www.harbourislandguide.com

Siesta Beach

is located in Florida. It is home to the worlds finest and whitest sand in the world 

Siesta Beach is composed of 99% pure quartz that started in the Appalachians, flowed down rivers, eventually to be deposited on the shores of the key. This dazzling white sand is so fine in texture that it runs though fingers like powdered sugar, and because it is nearly pure quartz it stays cool no matter how hot the temperature gets.

Sourced: http://beaches.uptake.com/blog/rainbow-beaches-colored-sand.html#ixzz2IM6eEBJ7

Gozo - Dunes of Ramla il-Hamra beach

The amazing, rare orange sands in the dunes of Ramla il-Hamra beach in Gozo derive from volcanic deposits in the ocean floor of the Mediterranean. Source: wikipedia
Ramla Bay is an orange sand beach located in the island of Gozo, Malta. It is a very interesting area, with a soft reddish sand and many ancient Roman objects. Source:http://www.tourismontheedge.com/best-of/seven-of-the-worlds-most-beautiful-colorful-sand-beaches.html

Red Sand Beach

Kaihalulu is located in Maui, Hawaii and is a pocked beach, partially isolated from the ocean. Because this area is rich in iron, the sand has a red-black colour which makes a great contrast with the water.
Source: http://www.tourismontheedge.com/best-of/seven-of-the-worlds-most-beautiful-colorful-sand-beaches.html

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

located in California, USA and is said to be hard to find, but worth the while. Its sands have a violet colour, which makes the beach a very attractive tourist destination.
Source: http://www.tourismontheedge.com/best-of/seven-of-the-worlds-most-beautiful-colorful-sand-beaches.html

Glass Beach Fort Bragg California

Glass Beach is in Fort Bragg, California. The dumping of garbage like glass, appliances etc into coastline led to the accumulation of glass on that area. The broken glass is turned into small pebble like structures by the force of water and appears beautiful after mixing with sand.

Source: http://trifter.com/caribbean-latin-america/seven-of-the-worlds-most-attractive-and-colorful-beaches/#ixzz2IkSSoA5M

Beach Murals

                                       

Artist Andres Amador

Artist Andres Amador has been at it again, carving intricate artworks in the sand – only for them to be washed away by the sea just hours later. 

The American artist has been creating a series of new designs, spending hours painstakingly carving giant doodles on the beach, some spanning a massive 300 by 500 foot. He uses Google Earth to pick out the best beaches for his designs. He then patiently waits for a full moon to make sure tides are low enough for him to complete his design before it is washed away by the sea.

Mr Amador carefully sketches each pattern and geometric design in a sketchbook, before recreating the grand design in the sand using nothing more than a garden rake. 

The 40-year-old from San Francisco said he has been using the beach as his canvas for the last 12 years and his artwork was originally inspired by the crop circles phenomenon in the UK.

Source:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2113843/The-amazing-beach-artist-Andres-Amador-starts-day-new-canvas.html



 http://www.andresamadorarts.com

                                    

Reflection

The photographs capturing the prominance of these mass drawings are wonderful, but for me I needed to see the process of the creation to truly grasp their essence. Watching how these images are pieced together by sticks and rakes allows for a better sense of their
constructions, with a deeper understanding and appreciation. 

   
        Part of the process is the use of foreign object interact with the sand, disrupting each individual gain to collectively create these murals. The tools have almost reinvigorated the    sand being and the fact that you can see that the gains of sand are out of place brings new life to the sand. The process is just as important as the end result, what ever that may be. 

Sand Sculpture

Sand Sculpture can be a strong expression of creativity, they are incredibly artistic three dimensional creations.  Sculpture done by a Canada artist, who was contracted by the Lifesaving Society to bring about drowning awareness to the public of Vancouver. Sand is a medium that can be used to create beauty, but it can also be used as a way of communication and sharing.

     The artists created this emotionally powerful sculpture to provoke attention to an important message. I love this sculpture because it represent the true grief that come such a preventable tragedy. The emotion thats captured within the essences on the sand is incredible.

Reflection
Sand sculpture are made up of millions of gains of sand and when they all combine and merge together they create such beautiful three dimensional images. The material is also incredibly frail to work with in order to work with it an artist must be so familiar with its temperaments and traits. There's something about sand sculpture that makes you just want to reach out a run your fingers along the curves and groves.

There is something magical about sand sculptures that taps into your imagination regardless of wether it's a professionally done sand sculpture that's created for competition purposes or for the the pure love of sand castle making. When a person come across a sand sculpture regardless of its level of techniques its instills a wonder deep within a person, I know this holds true for myself.
Professional

Recreational


Any time that I come across a sand sculpture I begin to wonder and ask myself a series of questions. Who built this, what the story behind the creation? what kind of message has this person left? what kind of miniature world had this person intended to create and share with others ? I also think what so fascinating about sand sculpture is that it can be independent or collaborative or a combination of both. A person can come across a sculpture on the beach that someone has left and add to it's story. There always the potential of growth. There is also this strong sense of continuation that calls to me about sand sculpting, this never ending world of possibilities and potential.