Andy Goldsworthy

I was very inspired by Andy Goldsworthy after watching the documentary - Rivers and Tides.

He has broken away from the traditional ways of creating art indoors in studios, transforming the definition of Art. By using materials and tools from nature, and only from nature, he has effectively brought out the elements and beauty of nature. The works are also subjected to the changes of nature, even the subtle breezes, rain and the tides affects the work and most of the time, these works exists only temporarily. This also brings out the fact the no matter how he attempts to manipulate nature to create works of art, nature would eventually dominate and take over (strikingly similar to the theme I explored in my coursework:D)

However, his works can only be documented by means of photography and videos, and viewers could only experience his works through the photographs, since his works are largely isolated from human traffic and are mostly temporal. On one hand, it allows the artist to 'guide' the viewers to view the work from a certain perspective so as to better appreciate it. On the other hand, I feel that the best way to enjoy nature is to be physically present as nature's beauty is not solely portrayed through sight but also through all the 5 senses as well.

I believe that the process of art making is much more satisfying and meaningful for him as an artist as through trial and error and physically experiencing nature himself develops his understanding for nature and his materials to create the work. I feel that he learns and achieves much more while creating the work, than the viewers do admiring his work. My immediate thought after watching the video is to ascend Bukit Timah hill and make art amongst the flora and fauna. Unfortunately, I'm in Singapore...

The 'expensive piece of shit' that he created :)

It's made of cow dung and earned him millions...