Midsummer Snowballs

by Andy Goldsworthy

Throughout time artists have been making art about the landscape. In Midsummer Snowballs, Scottish artist Andy Goldsworthy makes art from the landscape and dramatically unleashes it upon the city. Over the winter months in Scotland, Goldsworthy assembled 13 enormous one-ton snowballs and placed them in cold storage. One summer night, he released them onto the streets of London's financial district. Londoners awoke to startling winter sculptures on their sunny sidewalks. The snowballs were filled with a variety of elements, from feathers, seeds, and pinecones to rusted metal. The element of surprise continued as the warm summer air melted the sculptures and slowly revealed their insides to the passing public. Goldsworthy, whose career has been focused on making art in nature, creates beautiful and meaningful moments with these snow pieces. The sculptures highlight each viewer's relationship to public art, from hostility to wonder, as well as the connection between the city and the countryside. The book includes a straightforward, diary-like essay on the workings of the entire project, setbacks and all. With 280 full color photographs, it is a truly lovely and inspiring book. --J.P. Cohen

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Photography, Nature

Paperback

Published September 30, 2001

About the author

Andy Goldsworthy is an English sculptor, photographer and environmentalist living in Scotland who produces site-specific sculpture and land art situated in natural and urban settings. His art involves the use of natural and found objects, to create both temporary and permanent sculptures which draw out the character of their environment.

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the course of 2 winters, Andy and his assistants sculpted these massive (about 5 or 6 foot high) snowballs, and secreted objects and materials inside of them. Just before dawn, on the 21st of June, 2000, he placed the 12 snowballs at various locations around London, and then photographed their decay, and also the reactions of the people who encountered the snowballs. Materials like elm branches, barbed wire, black feathers, brown cow's hair and white sheep's wool, pinecones, chalk, and red earth all gradually appeared from inside the snowballs, and after about 2 days, those materials were all that remained.

[Cindy May]

Best book to read on a hot summer's day!

Plus, I am reading it for background info. since I am taking a class at the Dublin Rec. Centre in July that focuses on his art.

I bought it at Pottery Barn, of all the funny places to buy an Art book (where they're used as coffee table display items).

My favorite pictures are on page 75. There are three photos of the 'Beech' snowball and a dog removing one of the sticks from the melting snowball (as you do when you're a dog!).

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get this book. Look at it a lot. Call me.

[Marni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love these darn snowballs!

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genius.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're not familiar with Andy Goldsworthy, check him out ... art for purely art's sake ... temporary, ephemeral, gorgeous.