Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Here are some photographs from my day out with my dad at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. We had a really good day and YSP is an interesting and inspiring place to visit.

It has indoor galleries as well as the sculptures outside in the park.

The artist in residence at the park is Andy Goldsworthy and I found his sculptures beautiful, magnificent and very clever.

You can see an example on the left. He works with natural objects and from the shapes and naturally forming patterns occurring in mud, trees or snow for example. He will also use these raw materials to create yet more intricate designs and sculptures.

I've got to admit I hadn't given much attention to Andy Goldsworthy in the past but I was really impressed by his stuff at YSP.

Here are my two favorites at the park - both installations in the gallery.

Andy Goldsworthy - Leaf Stalk Room

This first one is like a curtain falling from ceiling to floor. It is made entirely from Horse Chestnut leaf stalks. All these little tiny twigs are pinned together with Blackthorns. So the whole piece is totally natural - with no glue or nails. Each of the twigs is attached to another twig and so they go on reaching across the whole room. With the exception of the almost perfect centre in the middle. Really clever and thought provoking.

Andy Goldsworthy - Wood Room

This is essentially a nest inside the gallery. It is made from Sweet Chestnut branches and really has to be experienced first hand for the full impact. When you walk into this room it is almost totally dark and it takes a moment to look up and see all the branches. It makes you feel like a small animal creeping into a burrow. The smell of all the wood is overpowering too.

Upon setting foot out of this gallery we walked out into a lovely bright sunny day. Looking up at the sky, with Goldsworthy's method of looking to shapes and patterns in nature in mind, I just had to take this photograph.

Look at the wonderful shapes of the clouds and the lines from planes in the sky, making a perfect cross. It just seemed totally perfect for the moment.

Cheese In The Trees !

Now we had a picnic in the park and in tribute to Goldsworthy's sculptures my dad created this sculpture. Giving it the truly inspired name of "Cheese In The Trees". :-)

We spent the whole day there walking about , playing Pooh Sticks, which I won! (see right), and sketching.

Here is a picture of my dad sketching...

...And this is what he was actually drawing.

Here is my favourite photograph from the day. We had to wait until no one was around to do this.