Monday, 23 April 2012

Landscape; Meditation and Contemplation - Book Stock


Andy Goldsworthy

Goldsworthy does not merely work in the environment.  Instead he takes the environment as his muse, his canvas and his tools.  His work is very much 3-dimensional and usually begins with some kind of natural physical object, whether it be a stone, stick or leaves.  The process of photographing what he creates is almost like a documentation of the 3d work. He does not employ any special effects or special lenses or filters. Instead he waits until a piece of work is at the peak of its existence and simply marks the moment with a photograph. 

Hazel Stick Throws

After looking at much of Goldsworthy’s work, I happened upon this image, which was quite different to most of his other images in that instead of building something to photograph, he has photographed himself throwing hazel sticks into the air.  For me, this image represents contemplation on the interactions of nature, and of fate.  He has thrown the sticks in the air along with his control over the situation. From the moment the sticks left his hand, the future of the piece was depending solely on the reaction of nature.

“When I’m working with materials its not just the leaf or the stone, it’s the processes that are behind them that are important. That’s what I’m trying to understand, not a single isolated object but nature as a whole”  - Andy Goldsworthy


Goldsworthy, A., 1991. Hand to Earth. 3rd ed. Leeds: W. S. Maney & Son Ltd

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