From the very beginning of our school year together, we have been captivated by water. We endlessly seek to find snatches of water left by the rain to fill our buckets and make concoctions of monster stew or soup. So a trip to Andy Goldsworthy’s Watershed made perfect sense!
Goldsworthy’s installation of a stone house, reminiscent of the outbuildings that dot so much of our New England landscape features beautiful granite blocks creating concentric circles from which water flows out freely if you are lucky enough to be there on a rainy day.
“Guys, when I was here water was squirting out. Through there!” -Charlie Kelly
It was a sunny day when we visited Watershed and it did not afford us a viewing of the water rushing through. We were able to capture the water flowing on another rainy day after school and brought this to the children using a looping video in the Studio. Goldsworthy is quoted as saying, “I like to look beyond the surface of things.” While Watershed is beautiful to view, it’s the “…interface between what we see on the surface to below…” that Goldsworthy wanted us to experience.
How will our visit to this new space captivate our thinking?
Jack placed a long line of blocks leading towards our running video. He wanted to illustrate his thinking of a pipe that carried the water to the hole in Watershed. Encouraged to remember his thinking, he drew his idea on his clipboard.
“A long pipe so the water can go through. I think there’s a water tank there! A giant digger came and put the water tank in there. Part of it goes to Brad and Doug’s house. He turns it on so the water can go on. Brad does.”
“This is Doug and Brad’s house there and they have a button to turn it on.
A unique feature of Watershed is a series of granite blocks forming concentric circles. Charlie Menke spent a moment with Sam looking closely at the stone design and remembering back to Studio Yellow when they watched the construction.
“It looks like a maze.”
Earlier in our year, Alex had spent time at our drawing space and he shared his thinking about a maze he had drawn.
“These are the two ends. This one’s the start and this one’s the end. The easiest way is (showing the shortest way). The hardest way is” (showing the longest way).
How can this piece inform some of our thinking around games?
“We need instructions to know what to do. Sam, just so you know we have to go over here in this side.” -Charlie Menke
“There are so many blocks in this maze.” -Charlie Kelly
“If you get stuck, it’s bad.” – Alex
Andy Goldsworthy uses a variety of natural materials in his work. With stone, he is drawn to the “spirit of stonework.” Watershed features beautifully crafted stonework drawing us in with texture, color and the sheer awe of how such a heavy material can balance delicately together.
What discoveries will we make using this material in our own work?
Into the woods…
As we ventured up the big hill and some children struggled, Charlie Kelly cheered on,
“Put your hands to it! Hand power!”
Lea, after finally making it to the top, stares back down in amazement.
Some children noticed string tied to branches and leaves…
“Power Lines. For the lights.” LUCA
“Maybe the butterfly is putting them up. The butterfly from the stones.” ZACK
“This is just a little tree…It hasn’t had much time to grow.”
A bit later, Johann examines a different tree that is laying on the ground.
“A whole fallen down tree. These are the roots and that’s the top.”
Books…
