Andy Goldsworthy

Ever since I saw Rivers and Tides, the 2001 film documenting his works, I have been a fan of Andy Goldsworthy, the preeminent “site-specific artist” of our time. Now 59, the British-born Goldsworthy has for some time “draw(n) his inspiration from place and creates art from the materials found close at hand, such as twigs, leaves, stones, snow and ice, striving ‘to make connections between wheat we call nature and what we call man-made.'”  On a Sunday afternoon in San Francisco, staying near the Presidio, we were drawn to see his newest work, Tree Fall, located inside the historic Powder Magazine. A docent explained the process of creation, how a large segment of a fallen eucalyptus trunk was attached to the walls and ceiling of the small room, looming and looking quite out of place. Unfortunately, it was not a pleasantly shaped eucalyptus trunk segment, so we were left marveling at how complicated it was to create something so simple. We had grudging respect, but not much joy.

Fortunately, the docent gave us a brochure and recommended the other three Goldsworthy pieces to be found in the Presidio. First was Earth Wall, a curved assemblage of eucalyptus limbs buried then carved out of a wall in the Officers’ Club. It was elegant, intricate, both natural and refined, with power similar to that in Jay DeFeo’s The Rose. Next, we climbed, by car, up Arguello Boulevard to Spire, 37 large Monterey Cypress trunks bolted together, reaching a height of 100 feet, climbing to heaven just as the spires of Gothic cathedrals do. Hanging around the base were a bunch of hippie-ish tourists from around the world, adding to the work’s character as a communal meeting place. Young cypresses planted around will eventually grow up, obscuring the base, rejoining it to nature.

Our last stop, near the Presidio Gate, was Wood Line, a 1,200-foot sinuous line of eucalyptus branches, zig-zagging as far as the eye can see, surrounded on both sides by eucalyptus forest. Of all the works this harmonized best with its surroundings, subtle and brazen at the same time. We felt we had approached the quartet of pieces in the best order and left the Presidio with an appreciation for both the artist and the place.

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