There is not much information on Andy Goldsworthy's background Andy Goldsworthy is a sculptor who works with naturally occurring materials found in nature. He hardly ever uses man made objects, but there are times when he does use steel, nails, drills, plaster, and the such to make remarkable huge objects such as walls, and labarynth-like creations (None of that work is shown here). Other than that, he usually uses thorns, feather quills or thin brances to stitch or hold objects together. At times he will even use other substances that may be considered crude and unorthodox such as spit and even urine. The artist works with nature, he does not pretend to dominate it, but to become a part of it. Everytime he uses a rock or branch, he not only works with that specific rock or branch, but with the space around it. That is how he is inspired. Not only does he work with the space around and object, but with the weather as well: "I have become aware of how nature is in a state of change and how that change is the key to understanding. I want my art to be sensitive and alert to changes in material, season, and weather. Often I can only follow a train of thought while a particular weather condition persists. When a change comes, the idea must alter or will, and often does fail." Andy Goldsworthy does not always succeed with every work he attempts. Sometimes after hours of working with a half frozen pond he will give up, or move to the next pond because the work is so frustrating. His work usually takes an average of three to four attempts before he succeeds: "At its most successful, my 'touch' looks into the heart of nature; most days I don't even get close. These things are all part of a transient process that I cannot understand unless my touch is also transient - only in this way can the cycle remain unbroken and the process complete." When photographing and keeping records of his work, he keeps it simple. He does not use filters and he uses a standard lens and standard film. When Andy Goldsworthy does choose to work with man made material to construct his bigger installations, he often finds himself disconnected from nature. Although he enjoys working large scale, he often finds himself drawn back to his little nature-based sculptures: "...everything comes from the earth. My work made indoors or with urban and industrial materials is an attempt to discover nature in these things also. Is is more difficult to find nature in materials so far removed from their source, and I cannot fo for long before I need to work with the earth direct - hand to earth."