Watershed

In late spring of 2019, Andy Goldsworthy and his team of dry stone wallers arrived to deCordova to construct Watershed, a stone shelter embedded in deCordova’s pond side hill that channels water through its back wall of concentric stone circles. Now one year later, it is still hard to conceive that we are amidst a global pandemic and largely living sequestered in our homes. In the weeks since the shelter-in-place orders were announced, many of us are finding solace and restoration outdoors while also establishing new domestic rhythms of cleaning, cooking, and gardening. Andy has also continued working daily from his farm in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. There he creates videos of actions performed around his property and nearby farmland in which seemingly rote tasks, such as sweeping, transform into artistic experience.

In the spirit of generosity and connecting with others during these isolating times, Andy has shared two recent videos that bare a special connection to Watershed. These works unite the element of water and spaces of shelter together.

The first, also titled Watershed, shows Andy methodically using a wet broom to create a thick band down the center of his barn floor. The rhythmic swoosh of the broom overlays the surrounding birdsongs and farm animal noises. Once he finishes sweeping and leaves the camera’s frame, we stayed fixed on this view as the water starts to dry while life in the barn carries on.

In Rainshadow, Andy is laying on a corrugated Corten-steel roof during a spring rain shower. The roof is similar to the one built for deCordova’s Watershed. Here Andy’s body blocks the falling rain so that when he stands up, we see his imprint. The fugitive human form swiftly disappears as the rain continues to fall.