Fortress On The Sand: The Art Of Driftwood Sculpture In Laguna Beach

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — One man's driftwood is another man's castle...or play fort, as it is for South Laguna Beach resident and photographer, Greg Viviani.

Viviani has built driftwood forts for as long as he can remember and is now capturing his driftwood forts to share with his followers on social media.

"I started building driftwood forts down at the beaches in South Laguna as a kid," Viviani said.

Born and raised in South Laguna Beach, he grew up going to the 9th and 10th Street beaches. Some of his fondest childhood memories are of creating forts out of driftwood.

When recent storms and large swells brought driftwood and bamboo to shore, Viviani couldn't resist but build a large "fort" structure. He spent the day over the weekend dragging and placing the large branches and even invited some friends to join in and help.

"These forts basically mean freedom and fun for me," he said. "I enjoy people's reactions to seeing them. It makes me happy how excited the kids get seeing them, asking questions about how to make them, asking if they can check them out."

For Viviani, now a photographer with a growing Instagram audience, sharing his creations is a natural thing to do.

Building a badass #entryway to the #SolagLocalFort great idea by @woodhana ! We added some nice drift wood as a very cool and #Organic entryway. What nature leaves behind we can build it! . Another awesome shot by @mattlarmand (thanks bro!) #SolagLocal
A photo posted by SoLagLocal (@solaglocal) on Jan 30, 2017 at 8:28am PST

"This will always be home for me," Viviani said. "I believe the ocean heals and anyone who is going through hard times or has been injured, is upset or sad, they should just take a trip to the beach if they can."

But, the temporary structures don't last forever. Whether taken down by vandals or by Laguna Beach Public Works, Viviani is happy to rebuild and begin again.

#Castaway Here is a shot I just took about an hour ago! It still stands!! @buddy_thebeachdog kickin it in the middle. Be sure to check it out and take some pics. I think it's pretty badass in person. Only took me 3 hours to build. (If you see it in person you will understand why) #Driftwood #TacoTuesday #natgeoyourshot #natgeoit #SolagLocal
A photo posted by SoLagLocal (@solaglocal) on Jan 31, 2017 at 12:12pm PST

With no shortage of driftwood, the larger than life sculptures will continue to take shape at Viviani's hands.

The scale of the structure, by comparison, when matched to Buddy, the beach dog and his frequent companion. Granted, Buddy is a Corgi mix.

#reference Here is a shot I used with my dog @buddy_thebeachdog to show you how big these pieces of #Driftwood #natgeoit #natgeoyourshot #SolagLocal
A photo posted by SoLagLocal (@solaglocal) on Jan 31, 2017 at 8:43am PST

Viviani and Buddy can often be found at Aliso Beach, in South Laguna. If you see him, don't be afraid to walk up and say hello, or you can always just follow him on Instagram.

Just sittin here thinking about summer. #Buddy_TheBeachDog can't wait for the waves to get big, the water to warm up, and the days to get longer!! #Summerdog #BeachLife #BestLife #winning
A photo posted by Buddy (@buddy_thebeachdog) on Jan 9, 2017 at 7:22pm PST

"I am fortunate and grateful to my parents, and lucky to have grown up in such a beautiful and amazing place," he said.

Photos by Greg Viviani.