Goldsworthy Project

image of my flower mandala. April 2016

The first part of the HS Ephemera class began by introducing what “ephemera” was and how it could be used to make eco art projects. Students engaged in collecting items that were meant to be thrown away, and used these materials to make new ephemeral objects, such as postcards, the Zine Project, and collage pieces. 

After working with recycled materials for a few weeks, students were then asked to research the artist Andy Goldsworthy without any context of who he was and how his work related to the class. Students had to use the following words to create their own research questions about Andy Goldsworthy: subject matter, audience, materials, ephemera, design & planning. This student-guided activity encouraged the students to form interesting research questions about the artist. For example, instead of asking “What materials does Andy Goldsworthy use?” one student asked “How do natural materials affect Andy Goldsworthy’s artistic process?”

I discovered this way of student-led research was incredibly engaging. Instead of just finding the answers, students had to carve their own research path based on what drives them to learn more about the subject.

image of Ibu Jen’s rock + leaf mandala

After the students had a clear idea of who AG was, we had a discussion about how this kind of environmental art related to the topic of Ephemera. Why do you think it’s important to work with natural materials? Why bother messing with leaves, if the wind is just going to blow them away? How can we bring this to the Green School campus… can we make ephemeral art to brighten someone’s day? To illuminate the ephemeral-ness of nature? How may this change your perception of how you see/feel/understand the natural world?

Goldworthy’s work is notably time-sensitive, so working with photography is integral to documenting his subject matter. We got the students moving around campus to take a look at the environment as a source for making an ephemeral art project, and had them document their findings.

Students collected natural materials that have some sort of visual appeal– different textures, colors, and shapes in a variety of organic materials such as leaves, rocks, sticks, dirt, etc.

In groups or working solo, the students then had to create an assemblage of these objects to make:
-photographic images
-a drawing, painting or sculpture inspired by nature
-a time-lapse film that watches the elements erode the work OR shows the creation of the work

Class Goal:
-For students to create an Andy Goldsworthy inspired piec(es) of work that utilizes “ephemera” from the environment and to document their process.
-For students to learn about contemporary environmental art and to link this concept with ephemera
-For students to engage with natural resources as a source of inspiration

image of student work: paper-mache-style leaves wrapped around toilet paper rolls

Here are some examples of student work: