Andy Goldsworthy's Fifty Years exhibition at National Galleries of Scotland explores nature's beauty and brutality
At the Royal Scottish Academy, the National Galleries of Scotland showcases Andy Goldsworthy: Fifty Years, marking the artist's most extensive indoor exhibition to date. Curated by Tor Scott, the display includes significant installations such as Skylight and Wool Runner, highlighting Goldsworthy's bond with Scotland's natural environment. By incorporating raw materials, including gravedigging stones sourced from Dumfriesshire, the exhibition responds to critiques of Land Art. Goldsworthy's transient pieces, like Rain Shadows (1984) and Storm King Wall (1997), delve into themes of decay and nature's reclamation. The influence of his Yorkshire farming background and education at Bradford School of Art and Preston Polytechnic (1974-1978) is evident, alongside discussions on political matters like the right to roam. The exhibition runs until 2 November and features archival content, photographs, and drawings.
Key facts
- Andy Goldsworthy: Fifty Years is at the Royal Scottish Academy until 2 November
- The exhibition is the most ambitious indoor display of Goldsworthy's work ever held
- Goldsworthy lives in Penpont, a village near Dumfries, and has been based in Scotland for 40 years
- The show includes Wool Runner, a carpet made from locally sourced fleece with colored marks indicating farm details
- Skylight is a sculpture of nearly 10,000 reed mace largely sourced from Loch Kinnordy in Angus
- Goldsworthy studied at Bradford School of Art and Preston Polytechnic between 1974 and 1978
- He won the Northern Arts Award, Yorkshire Arts Award, and received an OBE in 2000
- In 2020, Goldsworthy signed a letter with 100 creatives calling for an extension of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (2000)
Entities
Artists
- Andy Goldsworthy
- Tor Scott
- Oliver Lowenstein
- Robert Smithson
- Agnes Denes
- Jeremy Deller
- Robert Macfarlane
- Billy Bragg
- Emma Jacob
Institutions
- National Galleries of Scotland
- Royal Scottish Academy
- The Guardian
- New York Times
- Fourth Door Review
- Bradford School of Art
- Preston Polytechnic
- Kent State University
- Desert X
- Aesthetica Magazine
Locations
- Scotland
- Dumfriesshire
- Penpont
- Dumfries
- Royal Scottish Academy
- Loch Kinnordy
- Angus
- Yorkshire
- Morecambe Bay
- Lancaster
- New York
- Hudson Valley
- Moodna Creek
- Ohio
- Kent State University
- California
- Dartmoor
- UK
- England