Leaning into the Wind—Andy Goldsworthy

In the past ten years, San Francisco has been a stopover for acclaimed British artist Andy Goldsworthy, whose nature-driven artworks are ensconced in the Presidio and at the de Young Museum. What makes Goldsworthy tick? In the 2001 documentary Rivers and Tides, Thomas Riedelsheimer followed Goldsworthy around to great effect, and Leaning into the Wind is their collaborative sequel. Like their earlier production, the new film is a sensation for the eyes and ears that takes viewers into the terrains and outdoor spaces where Goldsworthy feels most at home. It’s a way to examine the work anew—how nature informs it, guides it, and gives back, as Goldsworthy gives to it. But Leaning into the Wind is also a journey into the artist’s maturing life and accompanying self-reflective thinking. Now sixty, Goldsworthy is a bigger “name,” and institutions around the world commission him to work his magic. Riedelsheimer is there, for example, when Goldsworthy orchestrates one of his Presidio pieces, Tree Fall, which debuted in 2013. But the director is also on hand when Goldsworthy talks about his divorce from his wife, and hints at other difficulties. Goldsworthy questions his earlier assumptions about art, and gives more insight into his hands-on process. The work always carries Goldsworthy forward. So, too, does his eternal joy and wonder.