"People do not realise that many of my works are done in urban places. I was brought up on the edge of Leeds, five miles from the city centre-on one side were fields and on the other, the city"
- Andy Goldsworthy
About this Quote
This quote by Andy Goldsworthy talks to the duality of his childhood and the impact it had on his work. Maturing on the edge of Leeds, he was exposed to both the rural and urban environments. The fields on one side of him represented the natural world, while the city on the other side represented the man-made world. This duality of his childhood has actually been reflected in his works, which typically combine components of both the natural and the manufactured. Goldsworthy's works often happen in urban places, but they are also informed by his experience of the natural world. His works are a testament to the power of both the natural and the man-made, and how they can be integrated to produce something beautiful. Goldsworthy's quote talks to the value of both the rural and metropolitan environments in his work, and how they have actually formed his creative vision.