Writing 1: Ephemeral/Site

For my writing reflection I decided to put emphasis on the reading titled “Walking the Line: Affectively Understanding and Communicating the Complexity of Place” by Laurene Vaughan that focuses on artist Richard Long and the film titled “River and Tides” that focuses on the artist Andy Goldsworthy.

In Walking the Line: Affectively Understanding and Communicating the Complexity of Place, the author emphasizes how walking can function as a form of embodied mapping due to its active sensory aspects and engagement with the landscape that can lead to self-discovery and a deeper understanding of place. The idea of mapping through the use of body movement is also showcased in the film River and Tides, which highlights Andy Goldsworthy’s process of creating ephemeral art that demonstrates having a conversation with the natural world. Goldsworthy’s process is similar to the walks of Richard Long, as they are not about owning the landscape but are about moving through it with pure openness and sensitivity. Their work shows how nature can act as both a canvas and a collaborator because of its moments of stillness such as where icicles or leaves are placed but also bursts of energy such as a tide deconstructing a sculpture. What becomes clear in both the article and the film is that nature is constantly active with life and emotion. And when humans interact with it creatively and with intention, they create a unique dialogue of making art.

Personally, I find Goldsworthy’s art to be a powerful reflection of the duality of nature, showcasing its calm rhythms but also its intense power. His work, like the walks talked about in Walking the Line, becomes a form of tracing human presence through the use of time and space without permanence. Both resources highlight that art and nature, when combined, can remind us that our connection with the world is both emotional and temporary. Goldsworthy’s ability to let go of control and let his artworks collapse or wash away relates to the article’s example that mapping is a fluid act rather than a fixed act. The landscape explored is not only just observed but is also felt, engaged with, and then transformed into something unique and new. The duality of nature that was spoken about and showcased, to me, is what makes the mix of nature and art so beautiful because it reflects our communication with the world but also reflects our own personal internal complexities, calm or chaotic, much like nature.