Journal

What Andy Goldsworthy’s Ferns Taught Me About Seeing

I stood there for longer than I probably should have, trying to capture what Goldsworthy had seen - the way these ferns wanted to curve, the particular shadow each frond cast, the rightness of their arrangement. This is what he does, what he’s always done: he sees what’s already there, waiting to be arranged. Not imposed on. Arranged.

And I think this is why his work matters so much to those of us who gather and make. He’s showing us that the materials themselves have wisdom. That our job isn’t to force them into shapes they don’t want to take, but to see what they’re already offering.

Inside The Studio, we’re exploring this kind of seeing through Threaded - gathering natural materials, making felt beads, learning to work with what each material offers rather than forcing it into predetermined shapes. It’s gentle, seasonal work. The kind Goldsworthy would recognize.

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