David Popa's Ephemeral Land Art

David Popa creates large-scale portraits and figurative murals on land, sea, and fractured ice floes, using drone photography to preserve works that are destined to melt, crack, or drift away.

After years in Finland, Popa began working across the Baltic's shifting ice fields, connecting the ephemerality of human life with the volatility of the environment. His materials include natural chalk, ochres, and powdered charcoal.

Painting Against Time

Most pieces take only a few hours to complete before the elements intervene. A snowfall, a split in the ice, or a change in temperature can erase the image, leaving the aerial photograph as the final form.

See more on Popa's website. Source: Colossal, via Yatzer.