Andy Goldsworthy

Here at Spoonfed, Andy Goldsworthy is one of our favourite artists of all time. Although he has sought to distance himself from the work of the Land Artists (such as Richard Long) there are some definite similarities.

Goldsworthy's work is often site-specific and often temporary. Elaborate structures are produced (often using only materials that are immediately to hand such as twigs, leaves or the artist's saliva). These are usually then left to disintegrate until they fade back into the environment from which they were produced.

Consequently photography becomes an important medium with which to document both the creative process and the natural decay of the work. Often the images are accompanied by descriptions of what happened during the making of the work - these vary from detailing the painstaking techniques employed by the artist to amusing anecdotal narratives (one work was nearing completion when a dog jumped on it, forcing Goldsworthy to begin again).

Overall, Goldsworthy's work is fascinating, time-consuming, skillful, and sometimes almost unbearably beautiful.

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