Colorado native Calvin Seibert grew up on a construction site, wandering out after-hours to play with the large mounds of sand left behind. His experimentation with sandcastles began hundreds and hundreds of miles away from an ocean but the love of the craft stuck with him. Now he travels to various beaches to create impermanent […]

Colorado native Calvin Seibert grew up on a construction site, wandering out after-hours to play with the large mounds of sand left behind. His experimentation with sandcastles began hundreds and hundreds of miles away from an ocean but the love of the craft stuck with him. Now he travels to various beaches to create impermanent sculptures that capture the imagination ? inspired by the shapes and forms of Brutalist architecture, they bend the mind with their sharp edges and gravity defying arrangements. Seibert works with a simple toolkit of pails and putty knives, but the results hint at the complexity of fully realized buildings.
Many of the sculptures are a composite of simple forms, much like the Brutalist style of buildings that inspired them. Here, rectangles seem to defy gravity despite the heavy-looking forms.

Seibert makes sure to point out that his whimsical sandcastles aren’t built the same way as some of the competition-grade sandcastles. While competition entries are often carved from solid forms, his are packed and shaped by hand.

The artist doesn’t actually start with a solid plan in mind. Sketches and ...