River and Tides Analysis

Because Goldsworthy works in nature, using it as his media and as his location, he must rely on conditions that will allow him to construct his works. Often times, nature does not play nice, such as all of a sudden the area becoming too windy, or an increase in tide, in the case of some of his works. This results in a destruction of his pieces, making him either redo them, waiting for conditions to be right again, or giving up and moving on.

There is going to be commonality at all of his locations; common trends of the way the landscape is formed, nature works, etc... These patterns are common in a specific location, as well as locations compared. He knows this because he learns from trial and errors, making new observations about nature with each project. But, he also understands that nature is also delicate, diverse, and unpredictable, allowing for unfamiliarity; due to change over time or location, affecting condition. He embraces the familiar and accepts the unfamiliar, as that is the essence of nature.

Andy Goldworthy’s excitement for potential is referencing the potential for the unexpected. At this part in the movie, he is creating an ice sculpture and then realizes how it has become illuminated by the sunset, unexpectedly. Nature works this way with its synergy of the elements, physics, and most importantly, of time. These moments, I feel, are the key to the beauty in nature and I think Goldsworthy would agree. When one is pleasantly surprised, it adds a whole new level of experience and emotion to what you are witnessing.

Goldsworthy is obviously referencing the circle of life with his statement when saying that the very thing that can bring something to life, causes its death; Live by the sword, die by the sword, to be cliché. What is most being referenced I feel here is the key element and theme of his work, and that is time. Time allows for the environment to become what it is at that moment, working with nature, forming these locations and the life forms that live within them. Again, things grow over time, but then reach a certain point and die over time. In this particular seen he references water and its traits within nature and time. Water can be liquid, it can be solid, or it can be gas. The changes from these forms to each other can be seen as a rebirth or a death. Ice is water that has been frozen over time. Eventually time, affecting temperature, will turn this ice back into liquid water.

Destruction is more subjective than that of mutation, shift and evolution. In that, destruction can be seen as the creation of another event, or object. I feel it is a matter of opinion. For example, the rain forests are being cut down. Those cutting it down see it as a new life for the space, a new use for the space. Whereas an environmentalist is horrified that the natural habitat is disrupted, causing its destruction. This also occurs with that of life and death. The start of life itself can be seen as new beginning, a new birth. Whereas another could see it as the start of a death or the start of consumption, often associated with destruction. Like life, death has this duality. It can be seen as the end of life, referencing destruction, or it can be seen as a rebirth into the Earth and nature, replenishing the land of which you lived off of.

Mutation, shift, and evolution are objective. These reference a change; whether it be a change over time, a change in physicality, or a change of emotionality. Change is increase or change is decrease. It is a mutation of an original specified state; the evolution of an object or a feeling or an event.

With ephemeral works, you have to accept creation and destruction. This is also to be said with life. You have to accept change, and mutation and evolution. This is all because of time and the way it works within natures boundaries, or I guess the way nature works within times boundaries. We can do all we can to try to stop the inevitable, but nature does not allow for that to happen.

Time allows for experience and observation. This is what learning is. And in reference to place, time allows for a gaining of familiarity of your environment, its elements, and its happenings. The more time you have experienced, the more you have observed, the more you have failed, the more you have succeeded, the more you have learned. But, nothing is infinite, thus nothing is all knowing, allowing always for growth of experience. If you have this understanding, then you should never expect anything to be exactly as you wanted it to be, as there are always conditions that are out of your control. This, in reference to art, allows for a certain randomness; a surprise; a change of the original thought or idea or object or happening. The acceptance of this is the key to an expanded creativity in art, as you can never be disappointed if you accept what time and nature has controlled.

The unfamiliar is the only way one can learn something new. This is obvious. If you always succeed, you know what you are doing, and you are never learning. A mistake allows for time to rethink, to redo, to change approach, whilst still wanting that final result. The failure tells you that this not the way to go about things; that this incorrect and adjustments must be made. Childhood is a great example of this natural growth in nature. A kid touches a hot flame. He burns his hand. He either chooses to do it again, having the same results as the first time. Or, he never touches a hot flame on purpose again. Either decision, unless the kid is an imbecile, allows for a lesson, an experience to be had. Some of us get it the first time, the second, the third or the fourth. But at some point, if failure continues than a change in behavior must be made if it is your goal to progress as a human being and continue learning. Without failure, there is no such thing as success.

I feel that place is very important with Goldworthy’s works and a museum takes away from this. As it is a controlled environment, the museum does not allow nature to have a part; evolving or destroying his work. The museum takes away nature and it takes away the element of time, at least in their natural states. The museum forces him only to work with his previous knowledge, not allowing him to grow and experience, succeed and fail; the purpose of his journey and the purpose of his art.

Preconception does not allow for objective truth. With preconception, one already knows what they want to take away from an experience, thus defeating the purpose of the experience itself. This diminishes learning and knowledge and the journey we must take to achieve these things. Keeping an open mind, an unimpressioned mind, will allow for a person to take in an experience for its natural truth, allowing for a full understanding, giving a person the entire lesson to be had. As far as the sheep go, to gain the true reality of the sheep, we must remove our own associations and uses of the sheep. We see the sheep as a dumb animal that we use for wool production, or meat, or milk. We do not respect the sheep for its actual being, its own life and maybe how we affect it rather than it affects us. Humans are often selfish, thinking only about themselves and not the perception of others.

Before referencing Joe Sternfel’s “On This Site” I am going to comment with my own experience. Time is change. Change leaves a trail; a difference. There are always signs of what once was, a natural historical marker. Whether it be layers in the dirt, mountains formed by moving water and glaciers or even a tree stump, the negative space of now fills in the positive space of the past. Joe Sternfel’s work documents this negative space, this offness as we perceive it. The term site of tragedy is used and tragedy is perceived negative change. But, change is not always a bad thing, as change can also improve. By taking away, something can also be added; a new observation or perception or understanding.

I think a key point and theme that Goldsworthy employs is to not only expect the unexpected, but to embrace it as it is just nature taking its course. What happens, happens because that is how time and nature intended it to be. Learn to be more observant of time and the elements of nature, and this will expand your own human experience on this Earth. Be mindful that you are not always in control of the final result.