Washington Diary, October 11-19, 2003

Not on View

Medium

suite of 12 silver dye bleach prints mounted on 9 sheets of white paper with text entries

Dimensions

sheet: 56.7 x 38.1 cm (22 5/16 x 15 in.)

Credit Line

The Nancy Lee and Perry Bass Fund

Accession Number

2004.74.2.4

Artists / Makers

Andy Goldsworthy (artist) British, born 1956

Image Use

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Inscription

Oct 14, 2003

CALM AND OVERCAST. A RELIEF FROM THE SUN. ABLE TO SEE THE WOOD FLOOR AND STONES MORE CLEARLY. THERE IS A FOUR CORNERED STONE NEAR THE ENTRANCE TO THE ISLAND THAT I PASS EACH DAY AND ON WHICH I WANTED TO LAY LEAVES. UNTIL NOW THE LIGHT HAS BEEN TOO DIFFICULT.

THE CALM LIGHT AND DAY MEANT LITTLE IN THE WAY OF FRESH FALLEN LEAVES AND IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO FIND ENOUGH TO WORK WITH. TODAY I FIND IT TIRING - BOTH THE COLLECTION AND THE WORKING. TEARING OUT AN UNBLEMISHED OF A SMALL LEAF LEAF (sic) IS TIME CONSUMING - IT TOOK HOURS TO DO WHAT AT OTHER TIMES HAS TAKEN MINUTES. AND TODAY I FELT IT. PERHAPS THIS WAS BECAUSE THE WORK WASN'T AS SUCCESSFUL AS I HOPED.

I FILLED EACH CORNER OF THE STONE WITH RED. WHETHER THIS STONE WAS NATURALLY SQUARE OR WORKED THAT WAY IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER - IT IS A SHAPE THAT LIES SOMEWHERE BETWEEN BEDROCK AND BUILDING.

THE RED DIED AS THE SKY DARKENED BUT CAME ALIVE AS IT RAINED HEAVILY. I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE MADE A RAIN SHADOW ON THE PATH LEADING TO THE ISLAND AND WAS TORN BETWEEN PHOTOGRAPHING THE STONE IN THE GLOW OF THE LIGHT THAT SEEMED TO ACCOMPANY THE RAIN.

I STAYED WITH THE STONE, FEARING THAT THE LEAVES MIGHT WASH OFF BUT REGRETTED NOT MAKING A SHADOW. I AM WORKING IN A PLACE LADEN WITH HUMAN PRESENCE. A RAIN SHADOW WOULD HAVE EMPHASIZED THIS CONNECTION.

THE RAIN HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT ON THE WOOD FLOOR - AS IF SUDDENTLY A LIGHT HAD BEEN TURNED ON. THE YELLOW AND ORANGE BECAME SO MUCH MORE VIVID. UNFORTUNATELY I JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE ENERGY TO RESPOND. I TRIED, BUT WANDERED AIMLESSLY FOR AN HOUR OR SO - GETTING NOWHERE BUT FRUSTRATED.

I RETURNED TO YESTERDAY'S WORK WHICH WAS MORE OR LESS STILL INTACT. THE RED HAD BEEN CHANGED BY THE RAIN AND HAD TURNED ORANGE IN CONTRAST TO THE NOW WET AND DARK ROCK. BOTH YESTERDAYS AND TODAYS WORKS WERE MADE WITH THE SAME RED. THE FOUR CORNERED STONE REMAINED PALE EVEN WHEN WET AND CONSEQUENTLY THE RED REMAINED STRONG. THIS WAS INTERESTING TO SEE AND MADE THE DAY FEEL A LITTLE MORE SUCCESSFUL.