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Haines Gallery

November 4 - December 25, 2010

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49 Geary Street Fifth Floor San Francisco, CA 94108
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Incidental Objects Andy Goldsworthy, Hand hit site dust, Presidio Spire, October 2008, Unique Ilfachrome print, 15.5 x 15.5 inches
Please join us for a reception with the artist: Thursday, November 11, 2010, 5:30PM – 7:30PM Haines Gallery is proud to present Incidental Objects, an exhibition exploring the conceptual process of British installation artist Andy Goldsworthy. Though popularly known for his ephemeral pieces that disappear over time, Goldsworthy has dedicated a large percentage of his focus toward the completion of over 120 commissioned, permanent installations over the past 25 years. For the artist, these permanent and temporary works function symbiotically, with temporary or experimental works often aiding in the development or realization of these commissions. Goldsworthy’s exhibition at Haines Gallery highlights some of these “incidental” works, providing a rare view into the conceptual nature of the artist’s process. Works in the exhibition include proposal drawings for several permanent commissions, including Spire (a recently completed work in the Presidio Park of San Francisco), Wood Line (a forthcoming work to be completed in the Presidio) and Stone River (at Stanford University). These alternative proposals elucidate the complexities of the artist’s practice. The exhibition presents a wide range of media, including a video work documenting the creation of two Rain Shadows, in which the artist lies on the ground during two subsequent rainstorms, eventually revealing dry forms in the shape of his body. His snowball drawings created while in California for a permanent commission at the Runnymede Sculpture Park feature the remnants of snowballs collected from his California travels. Left to melt on large sheets of paper, these snowballs leave abstract traces of earth pigments and water. These preparatory sketches and experimental works highlight the artist’s careful consideration of place, paying close attention to the qualities of a given site, from its topography and materials to its history. The artist emphasizes that his permanent installations allow for opportunities to experience the tactical, place-based nature of his work in person, while his ephemeral works can only be viewed through photographic documentation and the artist’s written descriptions. In the works shown at Haines, the artist’s hand and the materiality of place is ever-present, illuminating the artist’s process of manipulation and experimentation. This exhibition opens in tandem with the recent publication by The National Gallery of The Andy Goldsworthy Project, the only monograph featuring fully illustrated documentation of his commissioned installations from 1984 to 2008 – more than 120 works that span three continents - as well as significant scholarly writing on the artist’s oeuvre. The Andy Goldsworthy Project is available at the gallery.