Andy Goldsworthy

originally uploaded by thom watson

Ok I'm meant to off my blog this week and only sending pre-drafted posts but I HAD to do this one while Mr P and the visitors go off to rent Little Miss Sunshine for our viewing pleasure tonight.

Thanks to Shari for this link to an article about one of the biggest influences in my artistic life - Andy Goldsworthy, who is doing a retrospective at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park! Installation slideshow here.

When I first saw Andy's work at his 'Hand to Earth' exhibition in Edinburgh's Botanic Gardens in 1990. I was blown away by what I saw. I found it so amazing and so beautiful that I was, literally, nearly sick. I still get like that about a few things, if they are totally visually new and exciting to me.


originally uploaded by sfsweetness

I loved all his pieces and later found out about land artist Richard Long ( and others) who had been doing similar work for decades. But the pieces that most amazed me were ones I've never seen the like of before or since, leaf horns and a twig wall based on the same techniques as this one over water...


originally uploaded by quanticmove

Had had created this curtain of twigs right across the gallery, held together only with thorns. It was more random and delicate than the one shown above and the twigs were smaller. To this day I still can hardly believe it stayed in place. I was utterly in awe. It was the year before I started art College and it blew my mind and I'm sure contributed to my not following the 'rules' of making when I started college. He is recreating a version of that wall for his retrospective, this one uses over 10,000 thorns to hold the twigs in place. Now that is dedication to your art.

I actually got the chance to work with him in '93. He was in my final dissertation 'Art and the Environment' and when I wrote to ask him some questions for it I mentioned I'd love to work with him (he has an army of willing workers, paid and volunteers). He wrote back answering my questions and inviting me to come down in person! Unfortunately the timing was impossible, but I REALLY would have loved it. I think he was working at Grizedale Forest at the time, he has some really nice pieces there as do many other's like Richard Harris and Kees Bierman. I will try and find my photo's (all pre digital).

Because he worked so much in Scotland I'm lucky to have access to many of his permanent works in places I visit regularly, even where I walk Marley . This piece is at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh...


Originaly uploaded by Happy Dave