Andy Goldsworthy is busy at the seashore, busy in the riverbed, busy in the flower garden, busy in the cow pasture. His hands move quickly and accurately, picking, sorting, sizing, rejecting, stacking.
We can’t quite see yet what he’s doing, but rest assured, he is about to create magic.
Goldsworthy is one of the most astonishing and entertaining artists in the world, thankfully plucked from obscurity by an entrancing documentary called “Rivers and Tides.” Watch it with your children, of any age. You will all be mesmerized, and you’ll never look at the natural world the same way again.
Captured by an equally talented photographer and director, Thomas Riedelsheimer, “Rivers and Tides” follows Goldsworthy as he crafts his art in tune with nature. He piles rocks for hours by a rushing tidal basin, only to watch his pile collapse four or five times. He rebuilds, and suddenly there is a tremendous egg- shaped pod of staked rocks waiting to be consumed by the tide. Keep watching, for the tide recedes and the rock-egg might still be there.
Goldsworthy combines materials and locations in indelible fashion. Amid steep sheep meadows of his native Scotland, he winds thick white strands of wool along the tops of rippling rock walls. He shapes icicles in pretend piercings of rocks, in crazy loops positioned to catch the sunrise. He pins sticks together with thorns and hangs the contraptions from trees, as if he’s a kindhearted Blair Witch.
His natural sculptures are at once simple and impossible to duplicate, for they spring from a mind operating in a different plane. I feel “Rivers and Tides” has permanently altered my outlook, in a wonderful way. I encourage you to enjoy the same experience.
“RIVERS AND TIDES.”
Rated: G, nothing objectionable for any audience.
Best suited for: Truly all ages; a 3-year-old could appreciate the sculptures as easily as a 53-year-old.
