ArtistDavid Popais known for his extraordinary earth murals.
Using natural materials, he creates stunning ephemeral pieces that slowly blend back into the Earth.
Created using charcoal and water,Ammoniteis a stunning piece that Popa shows off through well-executed videos and photography.
He then transformed the piece into alimited-edition printthat captures the spirit of the original.
We had the chance to speak with Popa aboutAmmoniteand his philosophy about creating ephemeral art.
Scroll down to read My Modern Met’s exclusive interview.
Ammonites have always fascinated me.
Theyre these fossilized spiralsremnants of creatures that lived millions of years agoand to me, they embody time itself.
Theres something poetic about their form: cyclical, eternal, and yet fragile.
They remind us that life leaves traces, even after its gone.
That idea felt deeply connected to the themes I explore in my work.
Can you tell us a bit about how you scout your locations?
In this case, I was working on the Baltic Sea, only about 20 minutes from my house.
My process was quite simple: I headed out with my drone.
When working specifically on the ice, I have to start almost immediately.
TheAmmonitepiece took about a day to create.
I work quickly due to the scale and the unpredictability of the environment.
For materials, I use natural pigmentschalk, charcoal, and earth pigmentsthat are completely non-toxic and biodegradable.
They blend back into the land over time without leaving a trace, which is important to me.
Many art lovers take the permanence of art very seriously.
Your work is quite the opposite.
What is it about working with impermanence that speaks to you?
Life is fleeting, fragile, and constantly changing.
Why should art be any different?
Its a reminder of the beauty in letting go, in the cycles of creation and disappearance.
The earth takes the work back, and in that, theres a kind of poetic completion.
What is your favorite part of the creative process?
Is it the execution or watching the evolution after the fact?
The way nature interacts with the piece is something I could never have predicted.
Sometimes, the surprise works in the opposite waythe piece doesnt look as good as I imagined.
But that element of not knowing what the end result will be keeps me coming back for more.
What do you hope that people take away from this piece in particular?
I hopeAmmonitegives people a moment of reflection.
Its about connecting with something bigger than ourselvesnature, time, and the beauty of whats been left behind.
I dont generally know whats next, and I think thats part of the journey.
