landscape
The constructed environment
When Arthur Rothstein, FSA photographer, moved a skull a few metres for effect he, and the FSA,
were accused of fabricating evidence and being dishonest. A photograph however is not reality.
It is only one person’s interpretation of reality. Rothstein perceived the skull and the broken earth
at the same time and so he included them in the same physical space and photograph to express
his emotional response to what he was seeing. Is this dishonest?
The photograph can act as both a document and as a medium for self expression. Truth lies in the
intention of the photographer to communicate visual facts or emotional feelings. Sometimes it is
diffi cult for a photograph to do both at the same time.
The majority of photographers are content with responding to and recording the landscape as
they fi nd it. A few photographers however like to interact with the landscape in a more concrete
and active way. Artists such as Andy Goldsworthy use photography to record these ephemeral
interactions. Goldsworthy moves into a location without preconceived ideas and uses only the
natural elements within the location to construct or rearrange them into a shape or structure that
he fi nds meaningful. The day after the work has been completed the photographs are often all that
remain of Goldsworthy’s work. The photograph becomes both the record of art and a piece of art
in its own right.
ACTIVITY 8
Make a construction or arrangement using found objects within a carefully selected public
location. Create an image showing this structure or arrangement in context with its surroundings.
Consider framing, camera technique and lighting in your approach.
What do you think your construction communicates about your environment?Andy Goldsworthy