Andy Goldsworthy, Fifty Years #2

Edinburgh #10

Given that I've been a fan of Andy Goldsworthy for some thirty-five years, it was a joy to revisit some of his early work made in the 1970s and 1980s. There were photographs he'd taken of many of his woodland creations. In those above, he'd torn leaves and arranged them very precisely, stuck down with spit. His works can last a few seconds to a few days, but nearly all of them - with the exception perhaps of his stone sheepfolds such as the one at Yorkshire Sculpture Park - are ephemeral: from the earth, back to the earth. 

Foxglove petals wrapped round twigs, rowan berries in a sinuous line, nuts, leaves, stones - these are his materials. 

I find these works intriguing, not least for the patience involved in creating them. The autumn leaves below each have a torn green leaf, stuck with water or spit, to form a very precise line. 

There was a whole room full of photos of work Andy has been making since 2009, still ongoing, documenting a fallen elm tree near his home. It died of Dutch elm disease, finally collapsing across a stream. He's been returning to explore and work with the changes, cracks, splinters ever since. The bright yellow he's used a lot is the leaves of other elms, torn and papered over the darker wood, held only with water or stitched together with grass. He's exploited the violence with which the tree fell, exposing fissures and broken boughs. I actually found it quite moving in a strange way... homage to a once mighty tree. 

In the early days he also made short films, many of which are rather amusing, since he often uses his body as part of the art.  There was one of him crawling slowly through a hedge;  another of him lying - as if dead - on a slab of rock. It was only after several minutes that you realised it was raining and he was making a 'rain shadow', only visible once he stood up to reveal the dry shape. Another that intrigued me was a slow moving piece where he was simply wringing his hands together, but gradually you realised that he was squashing a fistful of blackberries, as red juice started to ooze like blood. 

As I said yesterday, the artist's thoughts, experiments and creative processes are at least as interesting as his art. It's the same with David Hockney. Long may they both continue sharing their creations. 

See HERE for the gallery website about the exhibition, with more photos.  

 

Andy Goldsworthy, Fifty Years #1

Edinburgh #9

My main reason for going to Edinburgh was to see the new exhibition: Andy Goldsworthy - Fifty Years. He is internationally recognised for his work with natural materials such as clay, stones, reeds, branches, leaves, snow and ice. Over fifty years, he has created a unique body of work addressing our relationship with the land. He grew up in Leeds and studied art at Bradford (like Hockney) and then Preston, beginning then to experiment with ephemeral works in the sands of Morecambe Bay and on the Yorkshire moors. He now lives and works in Scotland. I've been intrigued by his creativity and thought processes since I first saw his work at an exhibition in Leeds way back in 1990. (See HERE for the post I wrote recently about my print from that exhibition.)

The Edinburgh exhibition filled two whole floors of the Royal Scottish Academy building, some of it looking back over his past work but with several large pieces created specifically in response to this space. 

My first photo shows a work called 'Fence' - stretched lengths of rusty barbed wire that made a screen. It refers to the obstacles that Andy often encounters when working outdoors: boundaries, borders, fences, misunderstandings or obstructive people. He always hopes he can find a way through. 

The entrance stairway had this wool runner, placed where once a carpet had been. It's made of gathered up tufts of sheep's wool, cast from sheep before they get shorn. Andy has attached the fleece to netting, with thorns. The coloured marks are the dyes the farmers use to show which ewes have been served by the ram, who they belong to and what lambs they've had. 

Bullrushes from Scottish lochs have had their seed heads removed so that the stems can be laced together, thin end of one into the wide end of another, forming a hanging, tent-like structure illuminated from above by a skylight. 

Red earth dug from the Lowther Hills in Dumfriesshire was dried, crushed, sieved and mixed with water. Made into a workable material, Andy used it to coat an entire wall, where it cracked as it dried. The vivid red comes from its high iron content, as does the red in our blood. We are bound to the earth. 

On first sight, entering the room, 'Oak Passage' appeared to be an impenetrable mass of branches. Only when seen from either end was the way through revealed, a path to be walked. (Though I walked with some trepidation for fear of toppling over and ruining the whole thing!) The branches are from storm damaged trees, but the oak floor is also very much a part of the artwork - once a living tree. 

The sinuous form on the wall at the far end reminded me of a snake or perhaps bacteria under a microscope. Close inspection revealed it to be fronds of bracken, with the leaves stripped from one side, affixed to the walls with thorns.  

'Flags' was a 2019 work created for the Rockefeller Centre in New York, which has numerous flagpoles, usually flying flags from various countries or the 50 US states. Andy replaced each state flag with a blank flag dyed with the reddest earth he could find in each state. The connection between a flag and the land it represents is powerful. These flags are intended to transcend borders; a work about connection rather than division.  

I rather liked the view of visitors' feet underneath. We were all, hopefully, connected by our enjoyment of Andy's work.  

Princes Street and the National Galleries

Edinburgh #8

Princes Street and its Gardens slice through the centre of Edinburgh, dividing the city into its Old and New Towns. The valley is at the heart of the city, more or less concealing the railway and Waverley Station, which is tucked into the valley bottom. Across the Gardens, the stronghold of Edinburgh Castle dominates the scene, standing on Castle Rock, the plug of an extinct volcano, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age. The castle was a royal residence until 1633, and then a military garrison, prison and historic archive, home to the Scottish Crown Jewels.

The National Galleries of Scotland occupy a prominent position and it was here that I spent a whole afternoon, enjoying their exhibitions (and tea, of course, in the gallery restaurant). 

Sadly it was too chilly and drizzly to sit outside, but I could still enjoy the view of the Victorian Gothic Scott Monument, that huge memorial to the Scottish novelist Sir Walter Scott, said to be the second largest monument to a writer anywhere in the world. Beyond it is the Balmoral Hotel, originally a Victorian railway hotel in Scottish Baronial style. The hotel's clock on the tower is said to be set three minutes fast, to assist travellers in catching their train! The Balmoral is now a five star hotel and it was here that JK Rowling finished her last Harry Potter book. She apparently left a signed statement written on a marble bust of Hermes in her room: 'JK Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (552) on 11th Jan 2007.' The room has since been renamed the 'JK Rowling Suite', and the bust has been placed in a glass display case to protect it. (She'll be wanting a monument next!) 

The National Galleries contain works by Scottish artists but also many famous paintings and sculptures by other renowned artists. 'The Three Graces' by Antonio Canova is jointly owned by the V&A and the Scottish National Gallery and they take turns to exhibit it. It's obviously Scotland's turn currently.  

 

Stockbridge

Edinburgh #7

Stockbridge was once a village on the outskirts of Edinburgh, now swallowed up into the city. Its main claim to fame is the photogenic Circus Lane, built in the early 1800s when Edinburgh's New Town was being developed. Originally it was a service road for the Royal Circus (see the final photo, below), a grand Georgian circle of large houses, whose wealthy inhabitants needed accommodation for their staff and stabling for their horses. 

Ironically, now, it is a very desirable place to live (probably more so than the apartments that most of the larger houses have been split into) with its cobbled street and sweet Georgian cottages, adorned with tubs and hanging baskets. It attracts photographers and Instagrammers. It wasn't that busy when I was there but I still had to wait for people to walk out of the way round the bends.  

Just round the corner, the imposing St Stephen's Church, built in 1828 at the top of St Stephen's Street, is now a theatre. 

One of the older houses in Stockbridge was built in the 1700s as a merchant's dwelling, but apparently incorporates bits of older buildings. It has this lintel, salvaged from elsewhere, that says: 'Fear God Onlye, 1605'. The IR refers to Iacobus Rex: King James VI of Scotland, who had become James I of England and Ireland in 1603. In 1796, the house was the birthplace of David Roberts, who became a celebrated Scottish artist.

The imposing Georgian houses, wide streets, garden squares and sweeping crescents (like the Royal Circus, below) of the New Town are reminiscent of Bath's elegant 18th century architecture. 

Dean Village and the Water of Leith

Edinburgh #6

Someone had recommended Dean Village and the Water of Leith (the main river that flows through Edinburgh) as good for photos. I'd never been before and it's not far from the west end of the city centre so I walked there. With hindsight it would have been better to walk from Stockbridge along the river to Dean Village, but I did it the other way. With limited time to spare, I think I perhaps missed some of the interesting bits of Dean Village. It was, however, overrun with groups of lively young foreigners, which slightly dented its charm for me photographically. 

The narrow valley was once home to many of the city's grain mills, using the water power of the river to grind flour for its populace. Now it's an attractive residential area, the old buildings having been converted into dwellings. Some of the millstones have been preserved as a memorial. 

The valley is now straddled by Dean Bridge, built in 1831 to carry traffic from Edinburgh towards Queensferry. It was one of the last major works of the famed bridge engineer Thomas Telford. Before that, the only route was across the narrow stone bridge (left of my second photo) at the bottom of the valley. 

Below the four-arched bridge, as traffic rattles overhead, it's surprisingly tranquil (apart from the tourists!) with a nice leafy walk along the Water of Leith to Stockbridge. 

Along the riverside is St Bernard's Well, designed by painter Alexander Nasmyth in 1789. The figurine inside the cupola is apparently the Greek goddess of health, Hygeia. Discovered in 1760, this natural spring was rumoured to have healing powers. 

Edinburgh Botanic Garden

Edinburgh #5

My accommodation was within a short walk of the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, so it made sense to call in there one morning. In truth, I was a little underwhelmed, though the autumn colour coming through was pretty in places, especially in the brief bursts of sunshine. I only had an hour or so to spare, meaning I only saw part of the gardens. There are glasshouses somewhere but they're currently closed. We have so many outstanding gardens in my own part of the UK; I guess I'm quite spoilt. 

I climbed the Chinese Hillside, planted with species that thrive in China, including rhododendrons. Its main attraction to me was the wonderful view over Edinburgh from near the top, looking over towards Edinburgh Castle. 

Random street finds, Edinburgh

Edinburgh #4

I've mentioned there was plenty of statuary and sculptures around Edinburgh. Here are a few of the things that caught my eye. The lion in St Andrew Square garden was very different from the usual 'civic lions'. Not sure I really liked it; I prefer Saltaire's four classical lions. 

On the Grassmarket, I noticed a plaque saying 'Robert Burns stayed here in 1791'. Such history everywhere. 

The rather jolly 'Oor Wullie' statue on the Royal Mile commemorates a war veteran, Tom Gilzean, who raised funds for Edinburgh Children's Hospital Charity, rattling his collecting tin on the streets of the Old Town.  He died in 2019 aged 99. See HERE. 

Some may like their men 'in the raw' (don't ask what's under the kilt!); others prefer them locked up!  👀 😳

And back to St Andrew Square for the Paddington statue, part of a trail of 23 all across the UK, placed by the film studio as publicity when the latest film 'Paddington in Peru' was released in 2024. 

Greyfriars

Edinburgh #3

Edinburgh's Old Town has some wonderful street names. Grassmarket leads to Cowgatehead, which in turn leads to Candlemaker Row. There you will find Greyfriars Kirkyard, its earliest burials dating back to the late 1500s, when it replaced the overfull graveyard surrounding St Giles Cathedral. It's now an atmospheric place, containing the graves of many notable people. 

The large tomb below is the burial place of architects William Adam and his son, John. John's brothers, Robert and James, made the 'Adam style' famous. 

The wall in the photo below is part of Flodden Wall, built to protect the city after the defeat of the Scots by the English in 1513 at Flodden Field. Completed in 1560, it augmented the existing city walls. The information sign made me laugh as it said: 'The feared English invasion never (yet) materialised.'

The Bothy by the gate, built in 1864, was a shelter for the families of the recently deceased, who were obliged to watch over the new grave to deter the 'resurrection men' or grave robbers, who used to dig up fresh bodies and sell them to the nearby medical school for anatomical dissection. The practice led to the use of 'mortsafes' (lockable iron cages placed over the new graves) and 'caged lairs' with high walls and roofs made of iron bars (see below). 

Some of the symbols on the graves are chilling. 'Memento Mori' - remember that you have to die!

The story of Greyfriars Bobby is more heartwarming. He was a little terrier, who, when his owner John Gray died of TB, refused to leave the graveside and guarded it for 14 years until his own death in 1872. He was buried just outside the consecrated ground and was commemorated by a drinking fountain outside (his nose now shiny where people constantly touch it), and with a more recent memorial stone and statue in the kirkyard.