Andy Goldsworthy

Some friends reminded me the other day how much I love Andy Goldsworthy (thanks gals!)!  I'm so impressed by his work every time I see it, its beauty, simplicity and organic all at the same time.  I'm also impressed with him as an artist.  After watching his documentary Rivers & Tides (and buying it then watching it over and over!) I feel as though the quiet dedication to his work he displays is amazing.  
One of my favorite pieces he did in the last 10 years was essentially a public installation piece.  On June 21, 2001 he displayed a body of work called Midsummer Snowballs.  This work consisted of 13 1-ton snowballs Goldsworthy created in the winter before.  Each of the snowball concealed pieces inside of them for example one had feathers, another pine cones, medal, barbed wire etc.  In the middle of the night, Goldsworthy unleashed each of these snowballs onto the streets of the London financial district. Throughout the warm day each of the snowballs began to melt, each one was different according to its location and interaction with people who passed by.  What a beautiful way to bring some nature to the streets of London for all to see and experience!  All the snowballs melted within 3-5 days, leaving the enclosed elements behind.
I hope I'm not alone thinking this piece was genius, its certainly one of my favorites.  Enjoy these amazing photos of the process. 

The whole process for 4 of the snowballs, from start to finish.  Amazing, I wish I'd seen these to be sure.