Andy Goldsworthy Project at Peirce

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Andy Goldsworthy Project
Peirce 4th Grade
Fall 2010

1 Children and Nature
As our lives become more and more supported by technology it is so important to remain connected to our earth in its natural state. We are still animals and are dependent upon the ecosystems that feed us. There is a growing body of educational literature that offers powerful arguments for the necessity of childrens’ connections to natural settings, for time to dig in the earth, climb trees, build forts and run wild away from cars, screens and indoor activities. The work of Andy Goldsworthy inspires all of us regardless of age. It offers one way to connect us to the natural world. It reminds us of the wondrous pattern, texture, colour and form everywhere in natural settings and invites us to participate.

2 Andy Goldsworthy
Andy Goldsworthy is a contemporary artist who not only is inspired by the natural world, but uses entirely natural materials to make his art. Often the only lasting part of his work is the photograph. He is a master at finding powerful, universal forms on our earth and creating his own variations of these forms in different materials. We used his book, A Collaboration with Nature as the starting point for the grade four classes’ experimentation with this kind of art.

3 In Class
We started indoors to view the souvenirs of his outdoor process – well crafted photographs of his installations made from sand, rock, leaves, ice and wood.
Each class spent an indoor session looking at Andy Goldsworthy’s photographs of his outdoor installations, then built with a number of natural materials. We started with what students first saw in the images and then had a discussion about what forms were repeated in his work- holes, serpentine lines, cones, circles, spheres, zig zag lines, wavy lines, radial patterns and spirals. We talked about what the word collaboration means, how one collaborates with Nature and how Andy Goldsworthy differs from other kinds of artists.

4 Being There
Andy Goldsworthy works at the seashore, the woods, by a river or in a field of snow, often in his native Scotland. We worked at our local Menotomy Rocks Park. (morning field trip)
Getting to know a place takes more than looking. To really be present in a natural setting all the senses have to be engaged. Andy Goldsworthy talks about taking time to be in a place in order to be inspired. (Fourth graders know how to do it- roll around on the ground, pick things up and smell them, climb on rocks) Being late Fall and a little chilly we ran patterns in a out of the pine bank then lay down and listened and looked from a different perspective.


5 Large Group Searches and Collections
Pairs of students used a paint chip from the hardware and hunted for colours in the environment that closely matched those on their chip. Similarly students searched for a variety of lines and shapes.
As one large group, we foraged for sticks, made three piles defined by value: light, medium and dark, then used the entire collection for a cooperative arrangement. Ms Karwowski’s class made radial forms, Ms Hayes’ made a long river of sticks.

6 Small Group Process
A group of 4 or 5 students, with a parent chaperone, set off to find their own space to build an installation that they would then share with the entire group. This involved searching for a place, agreeing upon the place, collecting materials, formulating an idea and then building.


7 Small Group Products

8 Debriefing
Everyone met back at a central location and then the tour of all works took place. Builders explained whatever they liked about the process then fielded questions and comments from the other groups.

Come see a more complete display of the project up in the Peirce library now!


Thanks

Thank you again to the Peirce PTO who has allowed this project to be a yearly tradition. Thank you to the students for their energy, interest and willingness to explore. Thank you to Nicole Hayes and Jessica Karwowski who see the value of outdoor excursions and are willing to do all the organizing to make this happen. Finally thanks to the great parent volunteers who made this possible by helping with the in class session, being group leaders at Menotomy and taking many photographs:

Kristen Garrigus
Laila Moore Niles
Gayle Namchuck
Chris Hurley
Patricia Lynch
Brenda Kokubo
John Soares
Karen Scopetski
Maria De Francesco
Alison Romeo

Ann Wynne
annwynne@verizon.net
aroomforart.blogspot.com
For a look at more pictures email me and I’ll send you the album!

Thanks, Ann