Fernando Mastrangelo Studio

Drift marks the Brooklyn-based artist’s first use of sand as a primary material—though he is far from new to unusual components, having previously cast salt and coffee. Mastrangelo uses natural pigments to hand-dye the grains in a manner that emulates the nuanced blue tones of Patagonian glaciers. After mixing in cement, the composite is cast in layers using a hand-carved mold; the delicate ombré effect that results nods to the earth’s strata. Measuring 27 1⁄2 inches high by 62 wide and 41 deep, the sculptural piece becomes seating with the addition of tufted, padded upholstery in silk velvet.