(This post was blatantly taken directly from the preschool newsletter)
Your children have been very enthusiastic about our study of Andy Goldsworthy. We started our exploration of environmental art by examining the textures, shapes and patterns evident in the natural world. We considered nature as a means for inspiration (as in images in the clouds) and as a tool for creation (with apple prints, rock spirals, natural mandalas and more).
Due to the ephemeral nature of environmental art there have been few examples of your children’s work that we can send home. This process of creation, and then giving our work back to the natural world, is a key, if challenging aspect of Goldsworthy’s work. Rather than trying to preserve and protect his creations, Goldsworthy says that nature makes more of his work than he could have ever dreamed possible.
In order to share his creations with the world, Andy Goldsworthy relies on photography. We purchased three digital cameras for the children to use, and last week we took small groups out on walks around the neighborhood to practice using them. Next week the children will have the opportunity to document their art with photographs.
– Jessica and Molly
Andy Goldsworthy is a British environmental artist and photographer living in Scotland. He creates sculptures in natural and urban settings, generally using only the tools and materials which he finds on site.
Learn more about Andy Goldsworthy.
“We often forget that WE ARE NATURE. Nature is not something separate from us. So when we say that we have lost our connection to nature, we’ve lost our connection to ourselves.” – Andy Goldsworthy
