Transcending the
First World
Living in San Francisco has deeply strengthened my
appreciation for nature. It is often
said that people do not appreciate things until they are gone, and although
there is some nature in San Francisco in the likes of Golden Gate Park, I’m
typically surrounded by an urban environment here, lacking a more natural
environment. As a result, I’ve jumped at
the chance to go on hikes or to go camping in order to be immersed in nature,
making up for the minimal nature in San Francisco. I think this is why the Golden Gate Park
field trip in my signage seminar affected me the most out of all the other
field trips we went on. One thing in
Golden Gate Park that really caught my interest was a work of art in front of
the De Young Museum by Andy Goldworthy entitled “Drawn Stone.” Seeing this work of art prompted me to learn
more about Goldsworthy and his art. As a
result of this research, I have made a connection between nature and lifestyle,
and have learned how signage plays a role in those two concepts. Andy Goldsworthy’s art reflects ideals that
are seen in different lifestyles, and by comparing and contrasting his signage
and other signage I have seen in San Francisco, I better understand the immense
importance of the forces of nature.
First of all, I’m going to talk a little bit about Andy
Goldsworthy. He was born in 1956 in
Chesire, England (“Natural Talent”). As
a child, he worked on a farm, and as a result he relates his art to the act of
farming, “A lot of my work is like picking potatoes; you have to get into the
rhythm of it” (“Natural Talent”). He
attended Bradford Art College from 1974 to 1975 and Lancaster Art College
between 1975 and 1978. He has 4 children
and currently lives and works in Scotland (“Natural Talent”). I find it incredibly interesting that his
upbringing contributed so much to his current artistic vision—by farming and
being at one with the land, starting a rhythm with it, he learned to appreciate
the diverse functions of nature.
As you already know, Goldsworthy is an artist, but you may
not know exactly what type of artist he is.
Well, he is an environmental sculptor and uses natural surroundings to
create art. He explores with all
different types of natural material such as leaves, grasses, stones, wood,
sand, clay, ice, and snow. With no
preconceived ideas about what he will create, Goldsworthy relies on what nature
gives him. He feels the energy from
nature and transcends that energy into an art form. His sculptures typically contradict the
permanence of historical art, and it emphasizes the power of nature. In his work he has many goals. The most important message he wants to convey
is about the relationship between human existence and nature. His work shows that humans have some ability
to control nature, but overall, nature is the one that controls us. Photography also plays a huge role in his art.
Because nature is constantly changing, it is important for him to document the
changes to his pieces over time (“Natural Talent”).
Andy Goldsworthy’s work of art, “Drawn Stone,” caught my attention
in Golden Gate Park. According to the
sign describing this piece, it was inspired by California’s tectonic typography.
This work is basically a continuous
crack in the ground that runs from the beginning of the sidewalk in front of
the De Young Museum and goes all the way to the entrance. About halfway through, the crack splits into
approximately 5 forks and runs though several large rocks. Although some people may just see this as a
crack in the ground, Goldsworthy’s “Drawn Stone” challenges viewers’
definitions of art by blurring the distinction between the natural and the man
made. It shows nature’s power to destroy
even the biggest works of humans, i.e. the De Young Museum, itself. I feel as if the work of art is a way of form
following function for the De Young Museum. The museum contains fine art, so it only seems
fitting that fine art would be in front of it, representing it. This work has made an impact on me because I
found that the meaning behind it is quite beautiful. Nature is a huge part of every person’s life,
and the incorporation of nature into art reflects that.
Goldsworthy’s art reminds me specifically of
transcendentalism—the philosophical movement that developed in the 1830s and
1840s in the Eastern region of the United States as a protest to the general
state of culture and society. Among the
transcendentalists’ core beliefs was the inherent goodness of both people and
nature (Coviello). Like Ralph Waldo
Emerson, a famous transcendentalist author, said, “Adopt the pace of nature:
her secret is patience.” Nature helps people better see themselves and
appreciate life. In an incredibly urban
city like San Francisco, a place like Golden Gate Park is needed to allow for
others to experience nature and the perspective it creates—supporting patience
and rhythm. Both Goldsworthy and transcendentalists
believe in the power of nature and how it greatly affects human lives. Goldsworthy talks about his work with nature
on his website, “At its most successful, my ‘touch’
looks into the heart of nature; most days I don’t even get close. These things
are all part of the transient process that I cannot understand unless my touch
is also transient—only in this way can the cycle remain unbroken and the
process complete” (Goldsworthy).
There are some other lifestyles that share similar ideals to
transcendentalism and Goldsworthy—specifically, Buddhism and Taoism. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Live simply so
others may simply life,” a direct statement of Buddhist principals. Buddhists’ core values include morality,
meditation, and wisdom. They also believe
that change is inevitable, a direct similarity to Goldsworthy’s artworks (“Overview
of Buddhism”). Although Buddhist
principals do not directly talk about nature, Buddhists believe in simplicity
and are fairly minimalist. I believe
that although this is a religious view, it can be interpreted in a number of
ways. For example, America today is
ridden with consumerism and capitalism. The
constant struggle to gain power, to gain material items, to gain energy
threatens both a simple lifestyle and the planet. If everyone were to live simply, they would
reduce their carbon imprint on the earth and allow it to survive longer, which,
in turn, would allow people to simply live.
Another religion that has core values comparable to Goldsworthy’s art
and transcendentalism is Taoism. Taoism
is a Chinese religious belief that focuses on unity and opposites. Among other important things, Taoists promote
achieving harmony or union with nature.
Goldsworthy becomes at one with nature when he works on his art, creates
from his surroundings, and generates a rhythm to complete his work.
When living in a first world country, it is important to
have a lifestyle that promotes the progress of the earth, and not it’s demise. Because America is so powerful, American
ideals should set a preface to the healing and preservation of the earth. I compared and contrasted Andy Goldsworthy’s
art and the signage in urban San Francisco.
Andy Goldsworthy’s signage encourages viewers to open their minds,
become one with nature, and learn to embrace the simplicity of nature. Some signage in San Francisco somewhat
promotes these ideals: the signs encourage viewers to go green, to recycle, to
save the planet and preserve the earth.
On the other hand, many signs in San Francisco represent the opposite of
Goldsworthy, Taoist, Buddhist, and transcendentalist’s ideals. These signs promote consumerism, promote
destroying the earth, and promote complexity and not simplicity. I believe that humans should steer toward
preserving the earth, “living simply so others may simply live.” If this does not happen, the world could easily
be ruined beyond repair, which will disallow anybody to “simply live.”
Being in this class has made me realize the importance of
signage. I have learned that “a sign is
an object or idea or combination of the two that refers to something besides
itself, and it depends on others to recognize that it’s a sign” (Silverman,
Rader 3). I notice signs everywhere I go
now. Signs can do a number of things:
they can advertise, they can tell people to do things, they can be
informational, and they can even be works of art. Signage comes in all different shapes, sizes,
colors, and types. But, overall, I have
begun to understand how important signs are through being in this class. Signs are powerful tools that can greatly
affect their audience. After learning
about Andy Goldsworthy, transcendentalism, Buddhism, and Taoism, I believe that
signs can contribute to the greater good of the world and the people who
inhabit it. By taking the ideals I have
learned about through these lifestyles and people, one can essentially change
the world through signage. Instead of
utilizing signage to aid capitalism, people can utilize signage to inform
others about what their consuming is doing to the world. Signs should never be underestimated; with
their power comes the key to change.
After all, “the world is a text open to interpretation” (Silverman,
Rader 3).
Now what did I, personally, get out of this class and the research
I did for my final project? Well, as I
said, being in San Francisco, such an urban city, I have learned to appreciate
nature so much more. Since coming here,
I have gone out of my way to enjoy going on hikes in Muir Woods, exploring the
Marin Headlands, and even taking a trip down to Big Sur to go camping. Andy Goldsworthy’s work made an impact on me
because it conveyed what I now know from living in San Francisco: nature is
important. It is beautiful and it is
strong. It influences our lives so much
more than we can control it, and it needs to be preserved. That is why I have gone deeper in my research
to understand nature-oriented visions like those of transcendentalists,
Buddhists, and Taoists. I wanted to
learn how I could become more at one with nature, like the great Andy
Goldsworthy. Through this class, I have
learned how important signage is in the world.
Signage has the power to prompt others to view the world as I view it,
as Andy views it, as Buddhists view it, as transcendentalists view it, and as
Taoists view it.
The world is diminishing as you read this and it is all a
result of human life on earth. One day
in the future, near or far, the world will become unlivable, and human life
will cease to exist. All the progress we
currently strive for now will be for nothing; all the material goods and gas-guzzling
cars would not matter. Now that you, the
reader, have learned about the importance of nature and the power of signage,
how can you personally change the world?
How can you promote progress in the right direction?
Works
Cited
Adams, Tim. "Natural Talent."
The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 10 Mar. 2007. Web. 02 Dec. 2012.
Coviello, Peter.
"Transcendentalism" The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature.
Oxford University Press, 2004. Oxford
Reference Online. Web. 23 Oct. 2011
Goldsworthy, Andy.
"Philosophy." Andy Goldsworthy. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2012.
"Overview of Buddhism." Buddhism.
N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2012.
Silverman, Jonathan, and Dean Rader. The
World Is a Text: Writing, Reading, and Thinking about Culture and Its Contexts. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall, 2003. Print.
