- START --
COMM: Most people head to the beach to relax
in the sun, but for professional sand sculptor
Matt Long, it's just another day at the office.
The talented craftsman delights audiences
world over with his incredible designs, using
just water and sand.
Woman: I think it's beautifully constructed.
I would love to live in a castle that looked
like that.
Matt: I'm fond of saying these days that I
don't really create sand castles, what I do
is a make people smile.
COMM: The 58-year-old has been sculpting for
special events around the world for twelve
years, after he started building sand castles
for his kids.
Matt: We were down at the beach on vacation
and I saw someone create a little something
in the sand and I thought, "Gee, I can do
this". I started making things that were incredibly
embarrassing, but I still really believed
I invented sand sculpting until several years
later when I met a professional and it changed
my life.
COMM: Now the Staten Island native takes part
in three to four competitions a year, and
even placed second in the world championships
sand sculpting competition.
Matt: I have created sculptures for various
prince ranges. Tabletops for fourteen, fifteen
hundred dollars, up to monumental sand sculptures
worth tens of thousands of dollars.
COMM: And while he has an expensive repertoire
of sculptures to choose from, Matt returns
to the old favourite time and time again.
Matt: As a sculptor, you might be called to
carve just about anything. Castles and sea
creatures seem to be the most iconic, with
castles definitely taking a first place seat
in that category.
COMM: But no matter the design, Matt's work
usually elicits the same response wherever
he is.
Matt: People walk up to a sculpture, just
look at it, you know, an involuntary smile
comes to their face.
Woman: I think it's awesome. I'm actually
an interior designer, so I think it's architecturally
beautiful. He's done an excellent job and
it takes a lot of patience.
COMM: And while his art has a very short shelf
life, Matt remains philosophical about his
work.
Matt: It's a completely natural element. If
it's done at the beach and no-one destroys
it, the only thing that takes it away is the
tide or erosion back into the sand on the
ground. I guess you just get used to it.
The temporal nature of sand sculptures is
reflective of life.
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