Sculptures by the Sea

Annual Event

It’s March and the local Sculptures by the Sea is drawing the crowds. Today, a typically quiet Monday, crowds are tripping noisily down the concrete steps, children and adults enjoy splashing in the waves while others appear happy, ambling slowly from one sculpture to the next. Variations in the noise match the excited levels of school children on a day’s outing; seniors enjoying a bus trip; ethnic communities begging for photos in front of towering metal structure; ladies in red taking photos for fun, and children getting their feet burnt as they are trundled in prams across the pathways, their tiny legs exposed to the burning rays.

School children play within the sculpture

With pleasant weather at the start of the day, it is a pleasure to explore the sculptures on the beach sand.

Sense and sensibility

As the day wears on, the heat ramps up until it feels like a furnace has opened up (just the rising heat from the sand!) I cannot believe how many bodies lie in the sun, almost fully exposed to the rays of the sun. Childhood warnings of the dangers to one’s skin must have missed those ears! (Check out the deeply bronzed body on the beach in the image below.)

Wide range of sculptures

With the weather becoming warmer by the hour, we enjoy the range of sculptures, albeit somewhat fewer in variety than I’ve seen in previous years.

Nevertheless, there are fascinating structures of wood, metal, bolts, fabric, wool, straw and plastic.

Courtesy

With many school groups, it is fascinating to see the keen interest shown by both students and staff. As a former teacher, the latter earn my admiration for taking large groups out!

Avid photographers snap images. Frequent ‘thank you’s’ are spoken quietly as patient viewers wait their turn, or stand aside for others to capture their shots.

Variety of sculptures

Varieties of shapes always capture interest. Some seem like broken waves.

At the end of the pier.

Check out more images in my reel on Facebook.

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