Andy Goldsworthy: Sculpting the Landscape

Join Tor Scott, Assistant Curator at the National Galleries Scotland, for a special talk exploring the work of Andy Goldsworthy, one of Britain’s most influential environmental land artists. Goldsworthy has worked with nature for over 5 decades, using materials such as stone, clay, leaves, branches and feathers to create sculptures shaped by the landscape around them. His work invites us to look again and question the relationship between people, place and the natural world. This talk will trace key moments in Goldsworthy’s career, from his first solo exhibition at LYC Gallery in Cumbria in the summer of 1980 to his major exhibition Andy Goldsworthy: Fifty Years at National Galleries Scotland in 2025. Drawing on her experience of working on the exhibition, Tor Scott will share behind-the-scenes insight into the development of curatorial ideas and the making of several monumental, site-specific sculptures created especially for the show. Expect a fascinating look at Goldsworthy’s materials, methods and enduring connection with the landscape. During Kendal Mountain Festival, Andy Goldsworthy’s ‘Slits cut into frozen snow / stormy / strong wind / weather and light rapidly changing, Blencathra (1988)’ will also be on display at Abbot Hall, offering visitors the chance to see one of his works in the gallery alongside this talk. Tickets are £14.50 per person.