ARTS 1201: Three-Dimensional Design

In January 2003 British sculptor Andy Goldsworthy was invited to create a work of art for the National Gallery of Art, Washington. The project began with a series of ephemeral works on Government Island in Stafford County, Virginia. From this phase a series of photographic suites and a diary remain. The second phase of the project resulted in Roof, a site-specific sculpture comprising nine stacked-slate domes installed in the East Building of the Gallery by Goldsworthy, his assistant, and a group of British drystone wallers in the winter of 2004/2005. This is the most substantial scholarly volume devoted to Andy Goldsworthy's work in twenty years and the first to underscore the permanent oeuvre of the artist. The book traces the development of Goldsworthy's project at the Gallery from conception to completion and situates the artist's sculpture and practice within an age-long tradition of structures. It features the only fully illustrated catalogue documenting Goldsworthy's commissioned installations - more than 120 works dating from 1984 to 2008 and spanning three continents. Combining thorough documentation, in-depth analysis, and contextual scholarship within a visually rich format, The Andy Goldsworthy Project is a landmark publication on the artist.

The fate of our times is characterized by rationalization and intellectualization and, above all, by the disenchantment of the world. Max Weber s statement remains a dominant interpretation of the modern condition: the increasing capabilities of knowledge and science have banished mysteries, leaving a world that can be mastered technically and intellectually. And though this idea seems empowering, many people have become disenchanted with modern disenchantment. Using intimate encounters with works of art to explore disenchantment and the possibilities of re-enchantment, "Arts of Wonder" addresses questions about the nature of humanity, the world, and God in the wake of Weber s diagnosis of modernity. Jeffrey L. Kosky focuses on a handful of artists Walter De Maria, Diller + Scofidio, James Turrell, and Andy Goldworthy to show how they introduce spaces hospitable to mystery and wonder, redemption and revelation, and transcendence and creation. What might be thought of as religious longings, he argues, are crucial aspects of enchanting secularity when developed through encounters with these works of art. Developing a model of religion that might be significant to secular culture, Kosky shows how this model can be employed to deepen interpretation of the art we usually view as representing secular modernity. A thoughtful dialogue between philosophy and art, "Arts of Wonder" will catch the eye of readers of art and religion, philosophy of religion, and art criticism."

Mark C. Taylor provocatively claims that contemporary art has lost its way. With the art market now mirroring the art of finance, many artists create works solely for the purpose of luring investors and inspiring trade among hedge funds and private equity firms. When art is commodified, corporatized, and financialized, it loses its critical edge and is transformed into a financial instrument calculated to maximize profitable returns.Joseph Beuys, Matthew Barney, James Turrell, and Andy Goldsworthy are artists who differ in style, yet they all defy the trends that have diminished art's potential in recent decades.

Follows Andy Goldsworthy's bohemian free spirit all over the world as he demonstrates and opens up about his creative process. From his long-winding rock walls and icicle sculptures to his interlocking leaf chains and multi-colored pools of flowers. Goldsworthy's painstakingly intricate masterpieces are made entirely of materials found in Mother Nature - who threatens and often succeeds in destroying his art, sometimes before it is even finished.