“We
often forget that WE ARE NATURE. Nature is not something separate from us. So
when we say that we have lost our connection to nature, we’ve lost our
connection to ourselves.”
― Andy Goldsworthy
― Andy Goldsworthy
Autumn in New England is full of natural beauty – from golden
leaves floating to the ground to acorns nestled in the grass to branches blown
free by the winds. These objects call
out to be touched, gathered, collected, and children often do just that.
Pockets that were empty before the trip to the playground return crammed full
of bark and twigs and stones. Long sticks are brandished like swords and left
unwillingly beside the door until they can be used again. These things entice
us, draw us in, and call to our creativity. They are one of the hundred
languages, and, if we make space, we can speak through them. This is Preschool One’s story.
Rivers
and Tides
We began our work with natural materials in the Studio
by watching pieces of the documentary, Rivers
and Tides. This documentary features
the work of artist Andy Goldsworthy, who creates beautiful installations – some
in museums, but many of them outside – using entirely natural materials. I love
this documentary because it not only showcases Goldsworthy’s breathtaking
creations, it also shows his process. You can see his attention to detail in
finding the perfect piece to add to his creation, as well as his frustration
when one of his projects collapses midway.
I projected the video on the wall without sound, occasionally
prompting children’s conversation with questions, such as “What does that
remind you of?” or “What do you think he is using?” Here are some of their
thoughts about what they witnessed*:
Alisa – It’s a snake.
Y. – Did you know there’s paths like that?
N. – Maybe it’s a drawing.
Justin – Maybe it’s lava.
E. – Hey all those are blowing away from the snake.
Justin – There’s something inside them – a sea snake.
A. – We see ice.
F. – His hands are cold.
Y. – What is he making? He’s eating it. Ew.
E. – It’s cuz all the other pieces are just like it
and he can stick the pieces to the pieces.
All – BRAVO (when he finally sticks his last piece of
ice).
N. – It’s a snake tree.
Justin – Maybe he’s making a nest.
Arnaud – Maybe he’s making a nest out of trees.
A. – I think he is making a house for him. He’s
using stone.
Justin – Looks like a pile of rocks.
Gus – Maybe it’s melting – now.
Alisa – It’s a web.
Y. – You know why it’s not a web, because there’s a
hole on a stop sign.
F. – Why is there a hole there?
Y. – Maybe so it can be a stop sign.
The
Building Process
Following the video clips, I moved away the projector,
spreading out several work surfaces on the floor, as well as baskets filled
with many of the same materials that the artist had used. As children began
building, I could see ways in which Goldsworthy’s work directly influenced
their designs and their methods. Their great care in building creations using
sticks, rocks, pine cones, acorns, and leaves seemed to echo the deliberation
and concentration we had witnessed in the video.
As Gus surveyed the materials, he asked, “Can I make
like he did?” beginning to collect sticks for a “nest.” Later, when he wanted
to make one of the sticks stand up, “like a tree,” he made use of a glass jar
as a stabilizing device. When A. laid out a small circle of rocks, she
said, “I made what he made. I saw he made a hole with rocks, so I made a hole
with rocks.” El. created a long line using all of the rough-edged rocks
available. Arnaud and Justin built intricate traps, where each acorn cap or
stick had a job to do. N. enjoyed
making matching stacks of things, such as a series of tree ring towers. Phineas
overlapped a series of sticks, which he described as “just a design.” E. worked to cover the entire surface of the
different squares of wood set out alongside the materials. She would search for
the perfect rock to fill each space, creating an orderly mosaic of materials.
I noticed that order and space became very important for
many children over the course of the visit – lining up a series of sticks that
were big enough to stretch across two other sticks like a bridge, filling a
small square with only smooth stones… This meant that many conversations arose
around the issues of scarcity – not having enough to finish a project you had
begun – and stockpiling – holding on to many things in order to use them for
future projects. Such conversations are part of the preschool milieu – how do
you share space and resources with 15 (or, in this case, 4) other kids? The
unique piece of this Studio experience was that this was a space dedicated to
using just these particular materials, leaving more room for these discussions
to happen. In many cases, the children discovered that their worries about
someone else taking “all” or “too many” of something were unfounded, or that
they really did not need all of the pieces they had been fighting to keep. For
instance, when Gus was working to create his “tree,” the glass jar he wanted
was full of sticks. He quietly sat down by the jar and began to empty it out.
A. and E., who were working nearby, watched him.
A.: Oh no, he’s taking everything!
E.: Oh no, and I need sticks!
At this point, Gus left with the jar, leaving a pile of
sticks on the floor.
E.: Oh, he just took that jar.
Katie: Did he take everything?
A.: No, he left those.
Katie: All he needed was the jar, so he left the sticks
for you.
E.: That was nice of him. I guess I only need a few
sticks.
Where
the River Meets the Sea: The Big Picture
Through this experience, the children gained practice
in appreciating, using, and re-using these natural materials. Treated as loose
parts, the possibilities of sticks, rocks, and leaves multiplied, while
children’s concerns over quantity and ownership gradually diminished. My wish
is that this way of being can extend beyond the classroom into the greater
natural world, where we can recognize forests, mountains, rivers, and more as
treasures held in common, worth defending to be appreciated again and again by
generations, rather than used up for the sake of one. We are the stewards of
the earth, and we are charged with the task of passing that stewardship on. The
best way I can think to do this is to help children engage with nature, cherish
it, and not merely preserve, but share it in good faith.
*The pictures featuring Goldsworthy's work are screenshots from Rivers and Tides.
*The pictures featuring Goldsworthy's work are screenshots from Rivers and Tides.
No comments:
Post a Comment