Andy Goldsworthy Essay Example
Andy Goldsworthy Essay Example

Andy Goldsworthy Essay Example

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  • Pages: 4 (901 words)
  • Published: August 28, 2017
  • Type: Essay
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Born in 1956, Andy Goldsworthy is an extraordinary environmental sculptor who creates art forms in the landscape through the use of natural surroundings. By incorporating various organic substances like twigs, leaves, stones, snow, and ice, along with artificial paints, cuttings, and holes, he experiments with different materials. As soon as he completes making each sculpture, he takes a photograph of it. Goldsworthy's artwork highlights the connection between human existence and nature.

During my project, I examined David Nash's 'Hand to Earth' book showcasing his sculpting work from 1976 to 1990. His techniques piqued my interest and influenced my own final project. Nash frequently explores the themes of holes and cracks found in nature and earth, utilizing techniques such as green sticks, partial scraping, rubbing, and creating holes in natural materials. Ins

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pired by one of his pieces, I collected branches and leaves to also attempt cutting a hole in the center.

I found it challenging to work with leaves on a table as they kept shifting. Despite my attempts, my technique was unsuccessful compared to Andy Goldsworthy's authentic and skillful holes. Employing a black paper beneath the leaves, the outline shadows of the leaves were too noticeable, making the hole appear artificial. On July 24, 1986, in Cambridge, England, I used ICT to respond to Goldsworthy's and Long's approach towards nature by capturing a shoeprint on mud and small rocks from the school's Japanese garden through photography. I then imported these photos onto a computer and superimposed them as two separate layers, placing the picture of the shoeprint on top of the pebbles. Inspired by Goldsworthy's sculptors, I added holes to the mud of the shoeprint t

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reveal a new dimension of the picture of the pebbles beneath.

Intriguingly, seeing a footprint imprinted on pebbles is unexpected. To achieve this effect, I utilized Adobe Photoshop's dissolve and liquefy tool. Fortunately, the outcome was favorable, allowing the pebbles to be visible underneath. The reason why I found this artwork appealing is due to both primary photos. The footprint is reminiscent of Long's sculptures, while the synthetic holes in the mud represent a theme used in Goldsworthy's sculptures as well.

Goldsworthy created a sculpture consisting of a trench made with clay and sticks, which took two days to complete, and portrayed the Earth on the brink. I particularly appreciated this concept because holes are closely connected to the theme of what lies beneath. Indeed, a hole in the ground is beneath, and then beneath again. In response, I captured an image of large stones on the ground with visible cracks, and enlarged the picture to divide the rocks into two distinct halves, giving the impression that they too are on the edge. After examining Goldsworthy's art, I concluded that he utilized holes in the ground, or nature more broadly, to depict nature and Earth as disjoined and disrupted by human actions. Drawing from this reasoning, I experimented with developing my own ideas portraying how humanity impacts nature.

I began collecting natural stones and painting them with shiny gold paint to create Painted Rocks. This was inspired by Goldsworthy's use of artificial colors on Earth materials and manipulation of landscapes, creating unexpected contrasts with Richard Long's subtle sculptures. Examples of Goldsworthy's work with sticks, leaves, and stones are included. This approach also relates to surrealism and the unexpected.

Additionally, I experimented with these golden rocks by constructing a curved shape on the school grounds, where it is frequently passed by students, to observe the reactions.

It caught people's attention when they passed by the rocks with artificial coloring. Children were particularly interested and immediately began to play with them. This experiment demonstrates the power of adding color to natural elements. In contrast, unpainted stones placed in the school were not as attractive to people since they looked like ordinary rocks. We can control nature to some extent, but ultimately, nature controls us.

Andy Goldsworthy’s ‘Poppy petals’ sculpture features poppy petals wrapped around a granite boulder, with the red petals standing out among the rest. Goldsworthy chose a smaller rock among larger ones, creating a striking effect. I found the technique intriguing as it highlights the concept of one dominant rock amidst others. Overall, Goldsworthy’s unconventional sculptures, which blend synthetic and organic forms, inspire me to delve deeper into the subject matter.

Whilst creating patterns outdoors, I noticed that my actions sparked curiosity and fascination amongst others. Magritte's work captivated me in a unique way, setting it apart from all other artists that I researched. Despite careful planning, the final outcome did not fully align with my vision due to various difficulties I experienced during the exam. Fortunately, I was able to reference a pre-made format to ensure the size of my stone drawings were just right. My mock-up also proved to be a useful tool.

While painting and sponging acrylic onto paper, I encountered some issues. I accidentally applied the wrong paints to the paper with the sponge, which required me to start over with

the stone. Additionally, due to the time limit, I felt as though I couldn't give my full effort to creating the rocks. Despite the end result not appearing to be hard work, it was undoubtedly challenging to construct each rock in the appropriate proportion, cut and paste them, and put them together in the right composition.

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