The Spires of the Presidio

I hate to do so many posts on this artist, but it turns out that despite my recent posts regarding Andy Goldsworthy, I did not notice that some of his most recent work was featured in the New York Times (early November). The Presidio Forest, found in San Francisco, originally a Spanish fort during the late 18th century, was taken over by the US Army in the mid 1800's, eventually becoming a federally sanctioned park. Although the Presidio is a maintained public forest, the forest is ecologically plagued by deteriorating cypress, eucalyptus, and pine trees--a plan is now underway to replant 25,000 trees among 150 acres for the next 30 years. Goldsworthy came into play after drawing inspiration from the spires of old churches and buildings, two of which can be seen from the Presidio in San Francisco. The Spire was creating by pressing about 40 of the dying Montery cypress logs together, creating a single trunk like spike spanning nearly 100 feet in height. Goldsworthy noted in the article that his intention was to build something that for now, may be an extroverted site in the Presidio, but overtime with the reforestation project, will become overrun by the rest of the trees surround the "Inspiration Point Outlook" as the site has been named.

This is a common theme we have discussed, with the ability of nature to take over what once was placed by an artist. For more information, click here. There are also some other great pictures on Flickr, if you just search "Presidio Forest Spires." CHECK IT OUT!

"Photographs Become Artifacts"--

Also, I meant to mention as a comment to Brad's discussion about the vitality of works in nature--

As mentioned in class, a lot of interest can further generate about a piece that the artist has chosen to allow nature to reclaim. Goldsworthy acknowledges this idea, and relates to the idea that Photographs become artifacts idea discussed earlier as well. A quote from Goldsworthy illustrates this:

Each work grows, stays, decays – integral parts of a cycle which the photograph shows at its heights, marking the moment when the work is most alive. There is an intensity about a work at its peak that I hope is expressed in the image. Process and decay are implicit.

Photo: Rowan leaves laid around a hole, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 1987

An Art Novice's Question: Message Necessary or Not?

After my last post about the quirky rock piece by Ed, I was inspired to research art that did not necessarily draw on major philosophical or political themes. I wanted to look up someone that seemed driven to simply produce aesthetic works. With a help of a friend, I was reminded of Andy Goldsworthy, who doesn't necessarily fit the criteria discussed in Overlay (where prehistoric art themes are revisited by a contemporary means). According to my research, Goldsworthy's works, are essentially guided by his relationship with nature. The materials he uses and the types of works he produces he says are governed by the seasons-he uses what nature gives him. I think a good deal of his work comes is inspired by particular attributes of the materials he finds in the wild, such as colors of leaves, or the sharpness of stones. He often seems to sculpt to accentuate that particular characteristic of aspects of nature he finds. I've also found that a lot of his work reflects the repetitive approach we've discussed several times in class. For another example of this, check out the Rowan Leaves


With that, I just wanted to put out to the class if anyone had a comment about Goldsworthy's take on art versus what we've seen in the text. Does his lack of direct reference to prehistoric themes take away from what he produces? I know how it was mentioned in class that some of Goldsworthy's work found its way to the greetings card markets. I myself am new to looking at art in depth, so I'm curious, when do the critics draw the line when it comes to art being marketed like that? Or yet, does credibility to an artist begin to dissipate when the aesthetic values of his or her work begin to become more the focus than the inspiration behind it?

Photo:

Foxglove leaves split down
centre vein laid around hole
Leeds, Yorkshire
October 1977

Happy Stones

I found this untitled piece signed by Ed, just today on the way out from the Shafer dining court. I thought it was a pretty fun or corky type of art that someone might put into nature for others to enjoy. Although it may not accentuate a specific message, it does evoke feelings of a lighter note. The next time you're strolling through campus stop and take a look between the dining center and Shafer Street playhouse!

Travel Log: 11/19/2008

Yesterday I finally caught a break to explore in the local scene of Richmond, here's a small travel log of what I saw.

A friend and I decided to try our luck first at the University of Richmond, an area we hadn't really had much exposure to. On campus we found grand buildings, a Greek reminiscent amphitheater, and this beautiful, docile lake. The lake was alone to itself. No one was around it, besides us, and the ducks swimming. Lined along the lake were hollowed stumps such as this one. I found it interesting to find that each and every stump was hollow, each varying in size and condition. This one appeared to be the least affected by people and most in tune with nature-the others we found garbage, silly string, and other indications of tampering. It was about a foot and a half tall, with a hole spanning a depth of about 4 and a half feet deep. The stump itself may not have been an amazing site, but it certainly provided a seat for the view ahead of it. I would hope that people would find this use more often than using it as some sort of natural trash bin like the others we found.


Just some of the ducks we found. They didn't seem to mind us. The next time I visit, I'll see if I can stow away some bread for these guys.


From here, we moved onto heading back downtown. There were some really good pictures to be taken, and hopefully I'll have the ability to take them. So this is a note to self: For the next travel log, explore downtown area and find some examples of where and how nature is present within the city.

With that, here are some of my findings in the latter of the day.


As some of you guys may have seen, there is this really cool tree in Monroe Park, located just in front of the old Engineering Building. It's got character, that's for sure. I tried to determine whether this was of someone's art or not, but I really am not sure. Either way, it was a pretty amazing site, right in our backyard. This may be a prime example of earth art at its purest form with its completely natural medium, and simplicity strewn throughout it. I'd say it's fairly subtle, but the work commands your attention.

This may have been the best part of my travel log. After migrating to the center of the park, I found a man staring directly at the fountain. I found it pecular, considering the fountain was waterless, filled with leaves, and was the same fountain that had always been there. I then looked up, and was taken back by what sat atop. I'm thinking that it was an adult, red-tailed hawk (I'm no orinthologist, so if I'm wrong please correct me). See the close-up below. And there it sat for some time--it was a beautiful sight of nature, a degree to which I never would have expected to see in Monroe Park. Especially because we all know we have been guilty of simply stereotyping the park to being a home of the homeless, rather a place of nature. I'm certainly not going to hold it that low a standard after seeing this yesterday.

Here's a closeup of the hawk. It may not necessarily be earth art, but it certainly is another example of nature in its prime. I think for that reason, all of us would appreciate seeing something like this, if you truly are connected or interested in the environment as most of the artists we have learned about are or were. I'm no Richard Long, but I do believe that one of the greatest things we could do is to take a trip outside, and document our findings as he did. Next time as I said, I'll venture downtown, and try to find where nature exists and what art can be derived from it.

Brad temkin
Untitled VIII, 2007, location unknown

Chicago photographer, Brad Temkin, here captures a pool of melting ice. Temkin centers this piece on environmental issues, resonating the concern of the melting ice caps. This is illustrative of the form of earth art that evokes a message to observe. If Temkin is thinking what I'm thinking, we should all combat global warming and protect this great medium through which art and life are produced.

Man-made roads....in Eco-Art?

That's right folks, we've got a conflict of subject here--I'm not sure what to decide what's being emphasized, the road and the horizon or the amazing view behind it. This photo from photographer David Collier is entitled, Road and Mt. Shasta, taken in Shasta, CA. I recently came across some of David's work after signing up for this course. I simply looked around the Internet, magazines, whatever I could to find any leads as to any recent works of earth art. One day, I came across a FELT Racing (cycling) ad that David had produced. Needless to say, the ad led me to researching him, and once locating his central website, I got to see a wide variety of his photography works. With a newly founded interest in cycling, and also the fact that I love to run, I was so intrigued by how his photographs of roads and pathways seemed to accentuate not only the beauty of the open road, but also that of the environment surrounding it. Hope you guys find it as interesting as I did.

Some more of David's work can be found at www.dcollierphoto.com