Andy Goldsworthy
A Closer Look
Look at the beautiful form Andy Goldsworthy has created using icicles. What an unusual material! It looks just like its name, Icicle Star. Each icicle is a straight line that tapers to a point at the end, making this piece look very delicate and fragile, almost like a dandelion seed puff floating through the air. Try making a sculpture out of linear forms. Get a box of toothpicks and a piece of clay to stick them into. See what kind of design you can create.
About the Sculpture
Ice, leaves, twigs, even dust--these are some of the things Andy Goldsworthy uses in his artworks. Real icicles are the material of Icicle Star. Goldsworthy created this piece on a rock near where he found the icicles. He thinks of his sculptures as temporary--they are called ephemeral art. Since Goldsworthy knows his artworks won’t last long, he always takes photographs of them.
About the Artist
Andy Goldsworthy usually constructs his sculptures outside, right where he finds the materials. He has made sculptures all over the world, including the North Pole, where he made a sculpture out of ice. "I stop at a place or pick up a material because I feel that there is something to be discovered," he says. "Here is where I can learn." In 2004 he created an artwork on the roof of the Metropolitan Museum in New York City.
Write About It
- Make a list of what you see.
- How did the artist use the elements and principles of design?
- What do you think the sculpture means? How does it make you feel?
- Select two sculptures to compare & contrast.
