rivers and tides

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Nature is art.


And for British sculptor, photographer and environmentalist Andy Goldsworthy, nature IS his art.


The soft-spoken Goldsworthy creates site-specific sculpture out of leaves, sticks, rocks, sand, ice, whatever that is available. Unless he works with stone, most of his pieces only last for a matter of hours, or less. They are as ephemeral as nature itself. Ever changing, like the seasons, in transition, moving from one form to another. Often they are in or near water. He loves the fluidity of streams, rivers and tides. His muse must be a strong one, probably Gaia, i.e. Mother Earth; she certainly lives outdoors, a water sign: Pisces or Aquarius, I would imagine.


Goldsworthy may work for hours to create a piece, photograph it and then stand back to watch it fade away. Poof. By the end of the day, it's all gone. If you are not familiar with his name, then google it sometime and look at pictures of some of his creations. Prepare to be amazed. He makes it look effortless, but it is not. Pure genius.


After that, buy, rent or borrow the award-winning 2001 documentary “Rivers and Tides," and see how he does it. Watch a gifted artist; watch him work, think, create, flow into his work. Watch him build a unbelievably beautiful and delicate sculpture out of icicles. There's not an adjective in the English language that adequately describes it.


Thank you, Karen Suzy for sharing this with me.


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