Enclosure

by Andy Goldsworthy

Since 1995, Andy Goldsworthy has created a series of artworks in Northwest England in stone enclosures found across the countryside that have been used for assembling, sheltering, and washing sheep for hundreds of years. After working on and off for more than a decade, he completed thirty-five folds, often rebuilding them in the process; many of them can now once again serve their intended purpose. These form the core of Enclosure : they reflect Goldsworthy’s lifelong interest in the land, its history, and the people who work on it. They are accompanied by a rich collection of ephemeral work related in various ways to sheep, including a spectacular series of large sheep paintings—paintings made by the hoof-prints of sheep.

Enclosure , which joins the sublime tradition of the art and literature of the landscape of the British Isles, is an exciting addition to the series of eight bestselling books that Goldsworthy has already produced for Abrams.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Photography, Nature

168 pages, Hardcover

First published October 22, 2007

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

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first place that I lived in Guildford was called Sheepfold Road. Never thought much of it until I opened up the most recent of Andy Goldsworthy’s book that I got from the library and realised that this collection of art was based around sheepfolds. These simple structures were used for corralling, washing and sheltering sheep from the harshest things that the Cumbrian weather can throw at them.

Goldsworthy approached Cumbria County Council with the idea of renovating them to enclose some of his artworks or to actually be the artwork in some cases. To complete this task would require more than one man and he set about it with a team of stonewallers and big machines. By the time he had gone to 2006 a total of 35 folds had been created and it is those that are documented and photographed in this book.

And as with all of his other books that I have read, it is just beautiful. Not only does he take a pretty good photo of his creations, but it is those creations that make this book so special. A lot of his art is normally more transitory, made from leaves, ice and sticks, but these are very much more permanent installations. There are sheepfolds with huge boulders in, some with cairns and others with substantial parts of a tree built-in. Some of the folds are lovingly restored and others he has pushed what he can do with the structures incorporating elements in the walls that surprise and delight. If you have ever come across his work before this is another book that you should read.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like a lot of Goldsworthy's creations, but this collection is not among my favorites. It becomes boring because they're all too similar. In this case Enclosure refers to sheep folds that shepherds created to contain sheep, usually for counting, washing, safety, etc. They are often dry-stacked roofless enclosures with an opening to get the sheep in. There are many derelict folds around England and Goldsworthy uses this project to recreate them, usually in situ, sometimes newly created. It's interesting seeing them newly done, and then other photos later when left to weather. They're not for sheep, just for the look of the thing. Sometimes he has a cairn, or deliberately created pile of rocks inside or next to the fold to showcase the relationship of the different shapes, also dry stacked.
He notes the location, how to get to it if people want to, and who helped him create the folds and when.
Other "artwork" is a canvas laid on the ground with a food source on it. The sheep create the "artwork" with their dirty hoofprints and even dung. These are then hung like large paintings.
Much of the text is taken up with the affect the British hoof-and-mouth disease epidemic had on his ability to complete his works and on the farmers more directly affected.
There are a few other things shown, but I like best the other examples of his work in other circumstances and other books.
The weight of the text block has made it pull loose from the covers.
I wish our library had gotten a different book of his works.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't read all the thoughts. But the pictures were superb.

[Frances Coe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fab sketches and photography

[Sally]

Ok, I haven't looked at any of Andy Goldsworthy's books, but I did watch one of his videos (well, really it was a DVD) last summer: Rivers and Tides. Here's the response that I wrote back then.

I am still transfixed.
And inspired.
I want to go outside and play with God.
I too want to make daisy chains
and send them down the river.
Could I ever have the patience
to stitch together with pine needles
a hundred-foot long chain of leaves?
But o to watch it swirling
in the currents and eddies of a river,
dancing in the pools between the rocks.

I had never seen anything like it,
this biodegradable art,
this interaction with the Earth.
The artist creating natural wonders
with rock and leaves,
flowers and crumbling red rocks,
driftwood and icicles.

And all of it outdoors,
connected to the larger natural environment,
both enhanced and modified by that environment.
All of it impermanent and changing.

The icicle sculpture coming to life
as it is first hit by the sun rising over the ridge.
Radiant for a few glorious moments and then crumbling.

And various sculptures
built at low tide
and then modified by the tide
as it comes in.
The driftwood igloo
floating away
and gradually
being dismantled.
The 5-foot pinecone of balanced stone
becoming submerged little by little
until it disappeared beneath the sea
only to reappear as the tide goes out
still standing

There seems to be a humility in this art
a taking of what is given
and creating something beautiful with it
and then allowing it to be changed
by forces outside one's self

That is what gives it the feel of a conversation
between the artist and nature
or perhaps between the artist and God.

The spider-web-like blanket of bracken stems
stitched together with thorns
and hanging from a tree branch
fragile and beautiful
caressed by the breeze
and then crumbling
to a pile of stems on the ground
that will be blown away
and decay back into the earth


What will we create
with the things given to us in life?
Will we see the beauty
in the ordinary things around us
and create something with it?
Will we allow our creations
to be modified
in ways beyond our control?

Will we allow ourselves to play?
To enjoy God's creation
and to say something back to God
and then to listen for his response?

Will we have the patience
to learn how to work with the materials of our art?
As Goldsworthy had to learn
how to work with the Nova Scotian stone
trying again and again
after his cantilevered sculpture collapsed four times.

I was about to suggest
that he try building something easier
a simple pyramid would be more stable
but he had a higher vision
and the faith that it could be done
and in the end
the graceful pine-cone or egg-shaped sculpture
made of slabs of stone
surprised me with its elegance

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having encountered Maya Lin: Topologies and at first glance comparing it to what I knew of Andy Goldsworthy's work, I was primed to notice and check out this book when it passed through the library a short time later. In the past I have seen several of his books pass through the library, and even watched a DVD about his work, but I don't think I've ever read the entirety of one of the books, just glanced through them. I always find his work interesting to look at, since it is not only beautiful, but testifies to a great deal of labor and contemplation as one recognizes the effort of creating it; I feel like modern art tends to lack one or both of those aspects, valuing some sort of "message" over aesthetics or skill. I think that though he is probably more accurately classed as a sort of sculptor, part of his art is also in skillful photography to capture what are often transitory creations, though that is less applicable to many of the works in this book.

There is an interesting tension in this book between the artist's inspiration from the hard work of farming, and the fact that the art culture he comes from seems so at odds with that culture, and people who present themselves as simple and practical, a tension that is evident in some of the writings in the book. The accompanying writing is quite interesting, and it is enjoyable to see what the artist thinks about his work, and to see some of the work he puts into it. But it felt a bit strange to me that the writing came from so many different sources (project proposals, journal entries either about a work, or maybe just from his regular life, and other bits that seemed to have been composed for the book itself), but all were formatted and presented in the same way. Perhaps reproducing the original documents wouldn't have been practical, but some visual differentiation to reinforce the different origins would have been nice.

[Dani Shuping · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enclosure is the latest book collection of Andy Goldsworthy's work. Goldsworthy is an ephemeral artist, who works with items in nature, such as rocks, leaves, snow, and even the rain as it falls on the ground.

While Enclosure repeats some of the work that can be found in Goldsworthy's other book, Arch, Enclosure gives more details and insight into how Andy Goldsworthy plans his works and executes his sculptures. Enclosure focuses primarily on Goldsworthy's project to recreate sheepfolds in Northwest England. Not only did Goldsworthy rebuild many of these folds so that they could fulfill their intended purpose, but he also took into account the history of the land and its people in his shape and design. Throughout the book is a diary account that gives great insight into the thought process of the artist at work and the planning of this monumental sculpture.

Enclosure typifies Goldsworthy's books showcasing his thought process, sketches, and photographs of his work in process. It is a great addition to any fan of Andy Goldsworthy or of ephemeral art.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book mainly explains the works Goldsworthy has done with his Sheepfolds project around Cumbria in England. Through the last couple decades he's worked to restore existing sheepfolds and produces new ones in an effort to restore the agricultural history of the land. A sheepfold is an enclosure of rock that shepherds used to use as a mean of rounding up the sheep in order to wash, clip or treat them back in the day.

There's a lot of his journal entries from during the time of building, which reveal the strains of undertaking such an invasive project. I could hear the groans of the farmer's through Goldsworthy's words. However, in the end, it's a pretty cool concept and makes for an interesting interjection within nature. It's a good excuse for a trip to England to find all these folds!

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andy Goldsworthy's art is in its essence non-permanent, but at the same time I find it stays with me longer than the art by other people. This was both interesting to read and interesting to look at - I always find it fascinating to read how someone comes up with ideas like these, and how they are ultimately carried out.

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

He is my favorite artist of all time. His work is timeless and transcends any other art I've experienced. (swoon)

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

mud
urine

[refgoddess · Rating 5 out of 5]

as usual, beautiful and browsable. makes me want to get out and hike and create something. found while experimenting with a search engine. happy to find a new one!

[reading is my hustle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nature sculptures captured on film before they meld back into their surroundings. Think about it.