Andy Goldsworthy Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Andy Goldsworthy OBE
Goldsworthy in 2005
Born	(1956-07-25) 25 July 1956 (age 68) Cheshire, England
Known for	Sculpture, photography
Movement	Environmental art, land art
Spouse(s)	Judith Gregson
Partner(s)	Tina Fiske

Andy Goldsworthy (born 25 July 1956) is an English artist famous for making sculptures and photographs. He is an environmentalist, which means he cares deeply about the natural world. He creates site-specific sculptures and land art. This means his art is made for a certain place, often using materials he finds right there.

Early life
Career
Personal life
Awards
Exhibitions and installations
See Also

Early life

Andy Goldsworthy was born in Cheshire, England. His father was a professor of applied mathematics. He grew up near Leeds, a city in England.

Starting when he was 13, he worked on farms. He said the repeating jobs on the farm, like picking potatoes, felt a lot like the process of making sculptures. He studied art at Bradford College of Art and later at Preston Polytechnic (now the University of Central Lancashire). He earned a BA degree, which is a type of university degree in art.

Career

Finding his style

A sculpture by Goldsworthy in the National Museum of Scotland

After college, Goldsworthy lived in different parts of England. In 1985, he moved to Scotland. He first lived in Langholm and then moved to Penpont a year later, where he still lives. The nature and landscapes of Scotland gave him many ideas and materials for his art.

In 2003, Goldsworthy made a special piece for the de Young Museum in San Francisco. It is called "Drawn Stone." The artwork looks like a giant crack in the pavement, which splits into smaller cracks. This was inspired by the earthquakes that often happen in San Francisco.

How he makes his art

Goldsworthy uses natural materials he finds outdoors. These can be brightly colored flowers, icicles, leaves, mud, pinecones, snow, stones, and twigs. He once said, "I think it's incredibly brave to be working with flowers and leaves and petals. But I have to: I can't edit the materials I work with. My remit is to work with nature as a whole." This means he enjoys the challenge of using whatever nature gives him.

Many of Goldsworthy's artworks are temporary. They are not meant to last forever. An ice sculpture might melt, or a pattern of leaves might be blown away by the wind. For these artworks, he often uses only his bare hands, teeth, and simple tools he finds. His art shows how nature is always changing.

He also creates permanent sculptures that are built to last. For big projects like "Roof" or "Stone River," he uses machines and works with a team of skilled builders.

Goldsworthy is also known as the founder of modern rock balancing. This is an art form where rocks are carefully stacked on top of each other, creating amazing sculptures that seem to defy gravity.

The role of photography

Because many of his creations are temporary, photography is a very important part of his art. He takes pictures of his work right when it's finished and looks its best. These photographs allow people to see his art long after the original sculpture has disappeared back into nature.

Goldsworthy has said that photography helps him understand his own work. "Photography is my way of talking, writing and thinking about my art," he explained. The photos create a record of his art and show how his ideas have developed over time.

Films about Goldsworthy

You can see Goldsworthy's creative process in two documentary films. The first is called Rivers and Tides, which was released in 2001. A second film, Leaning Into the Wind, came out in 2018. Both films were directed by Thomas Riedelsheimer and show how Goldsworthy creates his unique art in nature.

Personal life

In 1982, Goldsworthy married Judith Gregson, and they had four children together. He now lives in the Scottish village of Penpont with his partner, Tina Fiske, who is an art historian.

Awards

1979 – North West Arts Award
1980 – Yorkshire Arts Award
1981 – Northern Arts Award
1982 – Northern Arts Award
1986 – Northern Arts Bursary
1987 – Scottish Arts Council Award
1989 – Northern Electricity Arts Award
2000 – Appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to art.

Exhibitions and installations

Dates	Title	Location
1995–2008	Sapsucker Cairn	Ithaca, New York, USA
1996–2003	Sheepfolds	Cumbria, England, UK
1997	Stone House	Herring Island, Victoria, Australia
1997	Cairn	Herring Island, Victoria, Australia
1998	Hutton Roof	National Museum of Scotland Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
22 May – 15 November 2000	Andy Goldsworthy at Storm King Art Center (featuring the installation Storm King Wall)	Storm King Art Center Mountainville, Cornwall, New York, USA
August 2001	Stone River	Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University Stanford, California, USA
2002	Andy Goldsworthy Arch at Goodwood	Cass Sculpture Foundation Goodwood, West Sussex, England, UK
2002	Chalk Stones Trail	South Downs near West Dean, West Sussex
2002	Three Cairns	Des Moines Art Center Des Moines, IA USA
4 May – 31 October 2004	Andy Goldsworthy on the Roof (featuring the installation Stone Houses)	Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Metropolitan Museum of Art Roof Garden New York City, USA
2005	Andy Goldsworthy: Early Works A national touring exhibition from the Haywood Gallery	England, United Kingdom
2005	Drawn Stone	M. H. de Young Memorial Museum San Francisco
2005	Arches	Gibbs Farm New Zealand
22 January – 15 May 2005	The Andy Goldsworthy Project (including the installation Roof)	National Gallery of Art National Mall, Washington, D.C., USA
2006	Red sandstone wall at the Doerr-Hosier Center	Aspen Institute Aspen, Colorado, USA
31 March 2007 – 6 January 2008	Hanging Trees	Yorkshire Sculpture Park West Bretton, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, UK
2007 – 2008	Clay Houses (Boulder-Room-Holes)	Glenstone Potomac, Maryland, USA
October 2008	Spire	Park Presidio San Francisco
June 2009	Refuge d'Art Hiking Trail, Provence, France	Provence France
2010-11	Wood Line	Park Presidio San Francisco
7 September 2012 – 2 November 2012	Domo de Argila / Clay Dome	Cais do Porto Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2013	Tree Fall	Park Presidio San Francisco
2014	Earth Wall	Park Presidio San Francisco
2019	Walking Wall	Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Missouri

Andy Goldsworthy facts for kids

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