Stone (Hardcover)

~ Andy Goldsworthy (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Here is an arresting look at art that uses slate, limestone, river boulders, sand, mud and clay--all created by young Scottish artist Goldsworthy. Stone reflects the artist's increasingly strong conviction that the places in which he works are as essential a part of his art as that which he creates. 130 full-color photographs.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 120 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; First Edition edition (March 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810938472
• ISBN-13: 978-0810938472
• Product Dimensions: 12.4 x 10.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #103,684 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ingenious natural art, June 19, 2000

By	"gothamannie" (new york sit-ay) - See all my reviews

Of this book, my mother said, "I can't understand artwork that's not meant to last." I replied, "That's the whole point." The beauty of Goldworthy's artistry is in its impermanence -- the sand sculptures will be washed out with the tide, the leaves will be carried away in a river current, the cairns will fall...and part of the artist's charm is that he never harms the landscape. In time, his art will vanish and so will his footprints... Nature leaves us constant gifts, and it's up to us to see them, digest their beauty -- and accept wholeheartedly that it may not be here in a few minutes, days, or weeks. A wonderful book that provides insight into the nature of art -- time -- and the physical world.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Goldworthy's art is an unfailing source of wonder, delight!, December 5, 1998

By A Customer

This book is a revelation! Goldsworthy's conceptual art never fails to stir a sense of wonder and delight. As I paged through Stone, which is filled with beautiful photographs of Goldworthy's work, not only installed in museums, but in the natural settings which harbor some of his best (and most ephemeral) works, I was constantly calling friends over to see. The freshness and astonishing beauty of Goldworthy's work is evident on every page. All who love the beauties of art and nature should see this book.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Astonishing natural art, September 7, 2002

By	Catherine S. Vodrey (East Liverpool, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In "Stone," as in his other books, Andy Goldsworthy takes the natural play of a child--fooling around with sticks, leaves, water, stones, mud, and more--and elevates it to something above and beyond its natural status. He uses his adult design skills to create great manmade beauty from existing natural beauty. He never falls over the line into obvious, coy, or precious art--he simply lets nature be what it is with a tiny little bit of rearranging on his part.

The results are never short of astonishing. Witness the sharp-edged rocks against which Goldsworthy has "glued" (with plain water) the leaves of brilliantly red Japanese maples, thereby making the edges look almost bloodied (p. 76). Witness the delicate, calligraphic tracery Goldsworthy stitched up by pinning together rush after rush after rush with thorns and then hanging these on a gallery wall so that it appears that either Calder or Matisse have wandered in and scribbled elegantly on the walls (p. 83). Witness the balanced oval boulders Goldsworthy lays in a curvaceous line from beach to the sea, and see how they roll and disappear from view as the tide comes crashing in (p. 101). These are but three of the many visual astonishments Goldsworthy shares in this book. The book is a never-ending source of delight and admiration for the feverish workings of one of 20th-century art's most creative minds.