Iris blades pinned together with thornsThis suggests why there are not many sculptures by Goldsworthy in the world's art collections...
filled in five sections with rowan berries
fish attacking from below
difficult to keep all the berries in
nibbled at by ducks
Like I said, it's a schtick. It's not his only one --- he also does earthworks, and stone fences --- but it's his main one. Unlike most artists' schticks, it's good for more than one striking image. Goldsworthy has produced hundreds of striking images of delicate, intricate ephemera. They're still striking years later, even after they've been book-covers. Better yet, many of Goldsworthy's pictures are actually beautiful. The state of the arts being what it is this days, this makes the man a public treasure.
The present volume reproduces dozens of Goldsworthy's pictures from the 1980s, including many of his best works. (There is also a short introduction by the artist.) The production values are superb, and physically it's a sturdy, square thing which can hold its own against petulant eleven year old boys. (Don't ask.) It's the most diverse collection of his work that's at all affordable (and in print), and strongly recommended, even to people who don't normally care for modern art or nature photography.