Andy Goldsworthy
Andy Goldsworthy is a environmental artist who only uses natural materials to create his sculptures and art work. He describes nature as brutal, disturbing and harsh. His art is based on "transient' meaning 'short period of time' he uses this is the way that life is short and he wants to make a stamp on his life on this planet through his art work. The materials he uses for his art he often includes brightly coloured flowers, icicles, mud, pine cones, snow, stone, twigs and thorns. On a typical autumn day, Andy Goldsworthy can be found in the woods near his home in Penpont, Scotland, maybe cloaking a fallen tree branch with a tapestry of yellow and brown elm leaves, or, in a rainstorm, lying on a rock until the dry outline of his body materializes as a pale shadow on the moist surface. Come winter, he might be soldering icicles into glittering loops or star bursts with his bare fingers. Because he works outdoors with natural materials, Goldsworthy is sometimes portrayed as a modern Druid; really, he is much closer to a latter-day Impressionist.
The Hanging Tree
The hanging tree reflects Goldsworthy's thoughts on the complex relationship between wood and stone. This has been central to his work as stone is traditionally seen as permanent and the trees symbolise mortal life. The dry stone walls are evidence of the human control over land and are the cause of most conflict. The issue of the and has been a highlight throughout Goldsworthy's work and the physical illustration of the act of making a place inaccessible with high circular stone walls sealing of the a space inexplicably.