I LOVE how different people "see"! Who would see perfect horses in driftwood? I'd seen a couple of these before, but Ruth sent me more photos recently that I must pass on. I think they're stunning! http://www.rense.com/general70/drift.htm
The artist, Heather Jansch, lives and works in England and has a website that you must look at. It has lots more pictures of these and her other work (different animals, different sizes) , plus a nice FAQ page (in question/answer form) which explains how she works. The legs are fiberglass, steel and wood, and hooves recycled copper. So interesting! One photo, particular, is hilarious. It's a picture of a real dog "checking out" the driftwood greyhound.
http://www.jansch.freeserve.co.uk/index.htm
Heather's work reminds me of the art of one of my faves, also a Brit--"environmental artist", Andy Goldsworthy. Ooooh, so fun! He takes what he finds in nature and, using no tools or extraordinary means (with a few notable exceptions for his huge, permanent work), and creates incredible arrangements of wood, or ice, or stone, or leaves, or, whatever. I can't describe it. But I can't stop trying to. He has no website, per se (!!), but photos are scattered about. I have all the books (except for the last one). Here are a few places to see some of the way cool stuff he does.
http://www.morning-earth.org/ARTISTNATURALISTS/AN_Goldsworthy.html
http://www.hainesgallery.com/Main_Pages/Artist_Pages/AGOL.bio.html
http://www.artnet.com/Artists/ArtistHomePage.aspx?artist_id=7145&page_tab=Artworks_for_sale
http://www.sculpture.org.uk/image/504816331403
Phooey! I can't begin to find a good representation of his work. There happens to be one place in San Diego where one of his pieces stands. It's one of his "cairns" at the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art. Right in front, under a tree. Rachel and I saw an exhibit of his, there, one time, the cairn being the only remaining part (that cairn is part of a threesome--one on the east coast, one in the midwest and one on the west coast). As certain folks will attest (you know who you are!), I can babble on ad nauseum about him because I'm so moved and dumbfounded by what he does. Besides, look at his name! Just take the "s" from his last name and move it to the front of his first (I sound like Will Shortz!). What do you get? Haha!
So, keep your peepers peeled for A.G.'s photo books. It will be your defense at our house if I grab you to show you his pictures. You can smile and say you've seen them. And save us both alot of time...--Sandy
