Perhaps one of the most differentiating features of landscape architecture – when compared to other design disciplines – is its relationship to time. Landscapes grow and evolve; the work of a landscape architect is therefore never really complete. For British sculptor and environmentalist Andy Goldsworthy, time lies at the very essence of his work. He continually explores the concepts of temporality and transformation. Using only natural materials found on site – stone, wood, leaves, mud, ice – he sculpts nature into captivating visual forms, only to allow nature to deconstruct – or rather evolve – the artwork in its own, unpredictable way. His work is made, unmade and remade by nature.
Directed by German film-maker Thomas Riedelsheimer, Rivers and Tides is an enchanting, unpretentious portrayal of the work and philosophies of Andy Goldsworthy. For those who have only ever experienced his work in photographic form, the film adds another dimension. It becomes an animated gallery in which the elusive element of time manifests itself within his sculptures.
As landscape architects working with the notions of time and place, and with nature as our primary material, there’s a lot we can draw from Goldsworthy’s philosophies. Rivers and Tides is an enduring documentary I believe every landscape architect should watch.
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Lead image via http://wp.me/p2jqeW-6G
Published in Blog
