Justin Bateman Recreates Iconic Artworks on the Beach Using Pebbles

Pebbles found on the beach are not only good for stone skipping and making rock towers. They can also be a material for fine art—as the works of British artist Justin Bateman show.

Bateman uses beach pebbles to make what he describes as “land art”. Most of his pieces involve recreating iconic artworks from famous artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Johannes Vermeer, and others.

Each of Bateman’s works is created with pebbles he founds on the location. He begins by collecting stones of different color, size, and shape required for the particular piece. After that, he spends hours and sometimes days assembling them as a mosaic until he gets the desired result.

While Bateman can’t achieve high levels of details due to limitations of used material, he still manages to capture the essence of the original painting and make it instantly recognizable. He even creates a similar background and finishes off the piece with a fitting rocky frame.

These recreations are not meant to last for centuries like the originals and disappear quickly after they are finished.  In most cases, Bateman is the one responsible for their ruin.

“I prefer the natural environment to remain natural, so I remove any indication of my presence when I leave the site and disperse the stones,” he admitted in one of his recent interviews.

But the short longevity of Bateman’s works doesn’t make them less impressive, that’s for sure. Check out more of them below.