| Revision as of 04:20, 2 August 2005 view sourceSparkit (talk | contribs)18,850 editsmNo edit summary← Previous edit | Revision as of 22:44, 14 August 2005 view source 69.158.4.60 (talk) →External linksNext edit → | ||
| Line 24: | Line 24: | ||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| * | |||
| * | * | ||
| * | * | ||
Revision as of 22:44, 14 August 2005
Andy Goldsworthy (born Cheshire, England, 1956) is a British artist and photographer living in Scotland who produces site specific sculpture and land art situated in natural settings. His art involves the use of natural and found objects to create temporary sculptural pieces which both appear naturalistic and create stark contrasts with their surroundings. He works closely with form and color contrasts to produce works that are both striking and ephemeral.
His media often include twigs, thorns, muds, snow, icicles, brightly colored flowers and leaves. He often uses only his bare hands and found tools, although more recent works like the Moonlit Path and Chalk Stones (Petworth, West Sussex - 2002) have also used heavy machinery.
His work process is both obsessive and opportunistic. He is preoccupied with the inevitable destruction of his sculptures by elemental forces, as was highlighted in the Midsummer Snowballs (Midsummer's Day, 2000 - various locations in London, England) where the destruction of the piece was almost the whole point. He seems to prefer works that exist only extremely briefly or whose continued coherence is highly uncertain. Many of his pieces collapse during construction and he often rebuilds them several times before he is able to photograph them in completion.
The documentary movie Rivers and Tides (2001, by Thomas Riedelsheimer) shows his work in action and some of the pieces he has created. "WORKING WITH TIME" is not only the subtitle to Riedelsheimer's film Rivers and Tides but also describes the aim of many land art artists (for example Richard Long or Christo and Jeanne-Claude although they rather prefer not to be called 'land art') to show the process of nature and thus to work with time.
Normally Goldsworthy captures his works with photography, but the 2001 film Rivers And Tides captures his understanding of nature and time better than the photography made by himself, because one is able to follow the process of creation and destruction. The film delivers insight into the way Goldsworthy works and finds his inspiration. "I want to understand the stone" is a quote by him which inspired Riedelsheimer to make his film: It describes Goldsworthy's ambitions to find the uttermost meaning behind every object in nature.
Goldsworthy is close to and bound to nature. If the wind changes, if the tide rises, if it rains, his art changes, and sometimes it developes, and sometimes it is destroyed.
Partial bibliography
- Touching North (1989)
- Andy Goldsworthy: A Collaboration with Nature (1990)
- Stone (1994)
- Wood (1996)
- Arch (1999)
- Wall (2000)
- Time (2000)
- Midsummer Snowballs (2001)
- Hand to Earth (2004)
- Passage (2004)
External links
- Andy Goldsworth - Sheepfolds
- Cass Sculpture Foundation page on Goldsworthy includes photos of his work
- Andy Goldsworthy: the beauty of creation
- Goldsworthy at artnet.
- Discussion group at Yahoo!, links and calendar of events
- 10-minute streamable documentary and accompanying web content by KQED on Goldsworthy's installation in San Francisco (June 29, 2005)