Midsummer Snowballs

Throughout time artists have been making art about the landscape. In Midsummer Snowballs, Scottish artist Andy Goldsworthy makes art from the landscape and dramatically unleashes it upon the city. Over the winter months in Scotland, Goldsworthy assembled 13 enormous one-ton snowballs and placed them in cold storage. One summer night, he released them onto the streets of London's financial district. Londoners awoke to startling winter sculptures on their sunny sidewalks. The snowballs were filled with a variety of elements, from feathers, seeds, and pinecones to rusted metal. The element of surprise continued as the warm summer air melted the sculptures and slowly revealed their insides to the passing public. Goldsworthy, whose career has been focused on making art in nature, creates beautiful and meaningful moments with these snow pieces. The sculptures highlight each viewer's relationship to public art, from hostility to wonder, as well as the connection between the city and the countryside. The book includes a straightforward, diary-like essay on the workings of the entire project, setbacks and all. With 280 full color photographs, it is a truly lovely and inspiring book. --J.P. Cohen