Many years ago, I spent a class period in one of my art classes watching a video about Andy Goldsworthy. He talked about his craft as he joined bits of icicle together to create a serpentine shape that seemed to move in and through the rock on which it was placed. The camera continued to observe as he created floating stick structures, egg-shaped rock piles, and vibrant autumn leaf murals. I was enthralled...and quickly forgot about it.
Then, a month ago, we watched this same video in my Art and Science of Tracking class. The following weekend, I went home and, already requiring several books at the library, also picked up a picture book about one of his more-permanent works, a dry-stone wall.
Goldsworthy's art is almost purely natural. He uses tools he finds, if necessary, but often simply works with his hands and, occasionally - as with the icicle sculpture - his teeth.
Goldsworthy's art is often very transient. The sun will melt or evaporate, the river will wash away, the rising tide will cover, or the wind will scatter his work. Photography, then, is important to his craft - the art must be captured before the forces of nature cause its destruction.
Inspired by this outlook and artistry (as well as a Google image search of his work), I decided to make a few pieces of my own. The first is above, the second below. I don't have anything profound to say about them, as my thought was well, this might be cool, and the two pieces took less than an hour of total work anyway.
Your turn! Get inspired, make something, take a photo, and let me know about it!