Washington Diary 2003

"Washington Diary" by Andy Goldsworthy is a mixed media piece of photography and text on paper. Goldsworthy is known for his ephemeral installations using natural materials and documenting them through photography, and here he combines that process with elements of writing and journaling. There's a quietness to the palette; muted colors in the photographs on top and the light gray pencil used to write the text. I love that the writing has a texture to it, both physically because we can see the marks of the pencil on the paper, and conceptually, since he's really inviting us into his way of seeing and experiencing the world. The writing is in the first person. I keep imagining him writing outside. You can almost hear the rustling of the leaves. The diaristic tone reminds me of Agnes Martin's writings, which are like little poems in the way they try to capture an essential but elusive feeling. It's that sense of something intangible and mysterious that makes this piece so intriguing.