Art has as many shades and expressions as human creativity does. Thus, there is always so much left to be explored and discovered in the versatile art world. One of the popular, experimental trends in art is ephemeral art, the type of art that emerged in the early 20th century to depart from the traditional perception of artwork as permanent. Here is a brief introduction to this art form and a couple of well-known ephemeral art examples you may want to explore closer.

What Is Ephemeral Art?

As the definition of ‘ephemeral’ presupposes, this kind of art is, by essence, destined to disappear and decompose. It happens not because of dramatic human error but of the artist’s intention, which is paradoxical to the concept of art preservation for future generations. That’s why ephemeral art is so precious – it is finite in existence, and the viewers who manage to embrace these art objects in person receive a unique opportunity that many other people will never have.

Top 3 Famous Ephemeral Art Examples and Styles

Let’s take a closer look at the forms of ephemeral art you may explore today. One of the ephemeral art examples is land art – the creation of art objects using natural mediums in the open environment. As the outdoor natural objects are exposed to decay with time, these art objects are also doomed to deteriorate and disappear with time. An instance of such art is Robert Smithson’s “Spiral Jetty” artwork created in 1970. Located on the shore of the Great Salt Lake in Utah, this huge natural installation emerges only during periods of droughts when the lake’s surface falls.

Another type of ephemeral art is street art. It is a versatile modern artistic method that includes graffiti, stickers, and stencils covering the walls of urban spaces. Street art is illegal in many cities, so these works may stay on the walls only for a few days or weeks before they are colored by municipal authorities or other street artists. Well-known examples of street art include Banksy’s masterpieces and the works by Christian Guemy, famous under the pseudonym C215.

Finally, a distinctive type of ephemeral art is performance; it is a unique form of real-time interaction between the artist and their audience and social context. It may also be regarded as a form of contemporary interactive art. Therefore, even well-rehearsed and repeated performances are never the same, representing ephemeral artistic self-expression. Well-known examples of this art style are “The Pandrogeny Project” and “I Like America and America Likes Me” by Joseph Beuys.