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Essay / The Meaning of Nature in the Works of Claude Monet and Andy Goldsworthy
The landscape of our earth has been interpreted differently by countless artists through many unique forms. Landscapes are a common art subject and a way for artists to express how they observe the world through their mediums as well as explore and appreciate the land and environment in the present day . Landscape works have been taken up by many artists throughout history, showing that everyone has their own specific representation of the beauty and tragedy of our natural world. Artists communicate their own meaning and perspective on nature through their use of materials and techniques. Two artists who emulated their personal meanings towards landscape are Andy Goldsworthy and Claude Monet. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Andy Goldsworthy is a British sculptor, sight-specific installation artist, and land and environmental artist. His works are all ephemeral and leave no permanent trace on the territory. The ephemeral nature of his works requires him to take photographs as a form of documentation. One of Andy Goldsworthy's environmental artworks is called "Ice Spiral - Tree Soul" and was made on January 12, 1987. This artwork is made from raw materials such as ice and a tree trunk. Through this sculpture, Goldsworthy seeks to understand nature by fully participating in it. “Ice Spiral – Tree Soul” is a delicate and beautiful piece of art that shows a spiral developing as it winds from the top to the base of a tree. Andy Goldsworthy's materials and techniques are essential to his creative process as he relies on touch, naturally found materials and tools. Twigs, ice, icicles, rocks, etc. are all earth materials that Golsworthys uses in his works. form is a design element that Goldsworthy depends on as it forms the basis of his sculptures. This, combined with the emphasis, makes his works stand out. The artistic process of “Ice Spiral” involves finding ice in chosen shapes and putting the pieces together with your own saliva. Since his land art is made from non-traditional materials and unconventional working methods, he makes his art raw and diverse. Due to Goldsworthy's unexpected nature in his art, he is classified as a postmodern artist because he questions the value of landscape. This sculpture is a new and different approach and has changed the way people perceive the landscape. Andy Goldsworthy plays with the irony that we can control nature but in the end, it's really nature that controls us. He left out the social normality of what landscape art was and what he believes landscape art should be. He challenged his audience's socio-cultural values and beliefs to inform his innovative works. Nature is constantly evolving and Goldsworthy wants to demonstrate this. Goldsworthy reinterprets the landscape and the way his sculpture temporarily interacts with the world. Throughout the process of creating the “Ice Spiral – Tree Soul” sculpture, organic form is a predominant element that was necessary to create the structure of the spiral. Andy Goldsworthy uses natural elements in his works and relies on ice which has naturally acquired its configuration. The unique constructions of the sculpture are unlike any other and convey the freshness of the landscape. Although the particular shapes are extremelyinvolved in the creation of his sculpture, so is the element of emphasis. Since this work of art is a free-standing sculpture, the audience's focal point is on the spiral. The placement of the spiral rotating around the shaft demonstrates its importance and special attention is paid to the spiral. Andy Goldsworthy's The Spiral Tree is independent and attracts audiences of all ages. Even if the work is not exhibited in a gallery, it is nevertheless well recognized. The natural essence and organic form of this work of art evokes in its audience the idea that the natural world can be aesthetic and surprising. The rawness of this sculpture conveys Goldsworthy's meaning of the landscape and the way humans are connected to it. Goldsworthy uses the landscape as his own canvas, in the sense that all the materials he uses come directly from the environment and are unaltered. He explores how using the most authentic materials in his works can bring people closer to the landscape. By presenting the main element, in a stand-alone way, it shows how nature can always surprise us and how we need to take more care of it. Ultimately, Andy Goldsworthy's sculpture "Ice Spiral - Tree Soul" conveys a deeper meaning than meets the eye. His interpretation of the landscape is to create beautiful art by fully participating in the environment around him. By fully investing in his environment, he is able to manifest the landscape in its authentic and true form. Unlike Andy Goldsworthy, Claude Monet conveys his meaning of landscape through oil paintings. Claude Monet is a French impressionist painter who questioned the landscape object in art. In one of his most famous paintings, “The Bridge on a Water Lily Pond,” painted in 1899, Monet pushed the boundaries of his interpretation of landscape through his use of color and brushstrokes. Claude Monet emphasizes botanical elements in his works and depicts the movement and life of Mother Nature. “Bridge Over a Water Lily Pond” is made from oil paints on canvas, as are many of his artworks, and demonstrates the serene atmosphere that surrounds him. “Bridge over a Water Lily Pond” is a well-known work that highlights living things in a still painting. Claude Monet painted layers of oil paints to build his work. Through this, it uses the contrast of colors against each other, the colors themselves and the element of harmony to create a luxurious work of art. Monet uses confident vertical and horizontal brushstrokes generating a crosshatch pattern to create the reflection of water lilies and irises on the water. Monet's confidence in the brushstrokes of his painting is communicated to us through looser, freer strokes. Claude Monet would paint a layer of oil paint on his canvas, then wait for it to dry, then repeat the same process, making his artistic process long but rewarding. “Bridge under a pond of water lilies” is a slow development that conveys the impression of the landscape, not the way of adapting to it. Monet wants to illuminate the vibrant life of a world of chaos in this painting. The subjective components of his art allow the audience to question how nature makes them feel and how they should feel toward nature. By immersing himself in the environment around him, Monet is able to correctly choose his palette and color contrast to create this piece. Claude Monet uses contrast in his works to emphasize the juxtaposition of lighter and darker tones. Claude Monet's palette creates simultaneous contrast because yellows and dark blues and purples are opposite each other on the color wheel..