Jon Foreman: Art that goes out with the tide

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 15 September 2025

⏱️ 26 minutes

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Summary

Jon Foreman is a Land Artist. He creates work in natural spaces using natural materials like stones, sand, leaves and driftwood. Known for his mesmerising sculptures that harmonise with nature, Jon’s work has captured the imagination of art enthusiasts worldwide.

His artwork may last as little as ten minutes before the sea washes it away, but his sculptures are not meant to last; his art is a testament to the beauty found in the ephemeral moment.

Jon’s work is not defined by meticulous planning, and he rarely has a fully formed idea in his head before he reaches the beach. He allows the environment on the day to guide his creative instincts.

From the ancient tools he uses to create his sculptures to the modern technology he employs to capture it; we follow Jon's creative process as he takes us to his favourite location to work - the pristine beach of Lindsway Bay on the Pembrokeshire coast, West Wales. Jon considers his work to be a collaboration with nature. However, it is nature itself which threatens to erase his work before it is even complete. With the tide fast approaching and mere minutes before the artwork is swept away, will he manage to complete the work in time? We listen to the artists race against natures clock.

Presented by Dualtagh Herr.

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts.
0:04.5	This is the sign of land art being created.
0:19.7	Thank you. This is the sign of land art being created.
0:29.3	And this is the sign of it being washed away. Hello and welcome to the documentary in the studio from the BBC World Service, the program
0:44.7	that goes inside the world's most creative minds as they make new work and share it with the world.
0:51.4	I'm Doolta Herr, and in this episode, we're not in the studio, but on the beach,
0:57.8	examining the world of land art, where nature itself becomes a canvas for creativity.
1:04.2	I'm John Foreman, and I'm a land artist, and I create work in natural spaces with natural materials
1:11.6	like stones, leaves, frift wood or sand.
1:17.6	With these simple yet profound elements, he weaves intricate patterns and designs
1:23.6	directly onto the landscape.
1:25.6	These earthworks feature hypnotic compositions
1:28.5	that organize stone and sand
1:31.2	with an all-encompassing sense of structure, balance and beauty.
1:37.8	My work is very short-lived
1:39.7	and will eventually be reclaimed by the elements,
1:43.3	whether that's the wind or the tide.
1:47.6	John's work may last as little as ten minutes
1:50.7	before the sea washes it away,
1:53.6	but his philosophy is to appreciate an artwork's beauty
1:56.9	during its brief existence.
2:00.0	Beyond visual aesthetics, John's art is a tactile and sensory
	...

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