I have been interested in Andy Goldsworthy, a British sculptor and photographer, since highschool. I was given a book of his photographs, which are images of natural sculptures. The thing that really interests me about this artist is that all of his works look impossible. They are one hundred percent natural, but they all seem as though they defy nature. Everything he uses in his sculptures are found objects. They way he manipulates these objects look almost unnatural. The way he uses color and shape to make sharp, unnatural edges is beautiful and breathtaking. His precision attributes to his patience and crafstmanship. Andy Goldsworthy's artistic process is to immerse himself in nature while he is making his sculptures. He will often live out in a forest for a few days while he works. A lot of the time his sculptures take many days and require a lot of manual labor which includes melting icicles together to make intricate webs and rolling boulders to stack together like a stone monument. He has also gone out into fields before its going to snow or rain to lay on the ground while the percipitation falls all around him. Once it is over, nothing but a silhouette is left. I love the simplicity of this idea.
I also love how like nature, none of his sculptures are permanent. I've read how sometimes he will spend days working on a pieces that fall a part as soon as he is done, but he is okay with this and he moves on to his next piece. He uses no type of glue or anything man-made. He uses no tools other than his hands.
These photographs make me stop every time and think,
How did he do that?
His work is amazing, and the most intriguing part to me is how can an artist be satisfied with he's own work knowing that one day he will not be able to experience it again. There will be a picture of it, but it will not be present to experience real time.
ReplyDeleteSeems to me that for the artist the real art is in the process of making it, using his own set of rules (for example only using natural found elements) as opposed to the final precious thing that one wants to keep.
What we make and we are able to keep reminds us of how, and when we made it. What Goldsworthy makes is ephemeral, at one point it will not be there again.
I may be that for the artist is important that the things that come from a certain place, eventually return to that place. Natural elements that become a piece of art, naturally return to their place of origin.
I absolutely love his imagination and creations. He seems to have a deep sense of nature and for the natural things around us. I like the fact that he uses natural found objects and even though it's kind of gross to use spit to keep things together, it works. Instead of turning materials into something else, he just uses what he has to create a pattern or design. He sort of minimizes his impact on the world while at the same time creating art.
ReplyDeleteGood stuff.
ReplyDeleteIf you have the chance, you should rent the DVD "Rivers and Tides." It follows Goldsworthy as he creates some of his pieces. His work raises some good questions, many of which you all have touched on.
• The value of ephemeral art objects
• What exactly is meant by "natural"? The materials? The intentions of the artist? (Aren't humans "natural"?)
• Is there such a thing as "natural form"? Does Goldsworthy tap into these "forces" and give them expression?
• The mythology of nature
To me this work is ode to the magnificence of nature. It is about the artists personal relationship with the place. It demonstrates the natural beauty he sees in a location as well as its potential for art. Very creative, very clever, very unique.
ReplyDeleteThese photos of his sculptures are incredible. It really does make you wonder how he puts some of these together & how much time and careful planning he must put into each one. I admire the fact that he does not use tools, glue, or add anything to his work that would disrupt nature. I interpret it as more of him "rearranging" nature to create something so intricate & artistic, & then letting it eventually return back to it's natural state. It gives the works such a wonderful, authentic earthy quality. He seems so dedicated to his work & I think that's wonderful because what he's doing is so unique.
ReplyDeleteEver since I saw the documentary PBS's Art:21 made of Goldworthy, I grew a certain respect for what he does and how he creates his work. His patience has to be incredible because a lot of times his work falls apart right in the middle of hour long creating. He builds things knowing that they are very ephemeral and could fall apart at any given moment after completion. Just like anyone else, this makes him sad to see some of his own hard work just kind of dying, but he knows that that is a part of life and that's why he is alright with it. I love that he openly says that he'd rather be alone outside in the middle of nowhere finding things to do and things to create within his surroundings and with tools that are given to him by the earth, rather than be at home being a regular Joe. He's very in tune with earth being his nurturer, and for that I give him the thumbs up. Very eccentric fellow.
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