andy goldsworthy

ultimately his work is about showcasing man's dominion over nature rather than nature itself

― I DIED, Saturday, January 9, 2010 8:02 PM (6 years ago

eh i don;t think thats really true

so many of his works achieve just a brief transitory glimpse of control over nature (captured in a photograph, sure) which is then quickly lost and that is part of the point

btw "andy goldsworthy: a collaboration with nature" is the book i have and it is spectacular

and yea i do think "collaboration with nature" is way more accurate than "control (or dominion) over nature"

parts of that book describe some failed attempts and are very interesting

some of his standing works invite interaction with the audience, or at least facilitate it
http://dsmpublicartfoundation.org/public-artwork/three-cairns/

not the best examples but a random sampling here in #2
http://www.desmoinesartcenter.org/blog/general/top-10-instagram-2015

I just recently watched the second Goldsworthy documentary film, Leaning Into the Wind, made in 2018 by Thomas Riedelsheimer, who also directed Rivers and Tides in 2001.
When I saw the latter more than a decade ago, part of its appeal was how he had managed to make a living and a life in the larger world out of what was portrayed as a very personal mode of relating and working with nature. In the more recent film, he's 17 years older, and while he still seems physically and artistically vital, his practise seems to be more of a way of life, almost private in its significance. I know he's a successful professional artist with commissions and works around the world, but what comes across is his relation with the natural world through his body and everyday actions.
The message of Leaning Into the Wind for me was a reminder that we don't need to be creating art in any institutionally recognized way to derive creative pleasure of "art" from the world around us.