Leafhorn 1994

Andy Goldsworthy made this sculpture, “Leafhorn,” by meticulously pinning leaves together to create a horn-shaped spiral. Goldsworthy, born in Britain in 1956, is part of a generation of artists in the late 20th century who turned away from urban spaces and traditional art materials to engage with the natural world. His choice of leaves as a medium is particularly resonant. Leaves represent cycles of growth, decay, and regeneration, and the land carries the history of human labor. Goldsworthy has spoken of nature as a deeply gendered space, often coded as feminine in opposition to the masculine realm of culture. By crafting such deliberate forms from ephemeral materials, his art can be seen as challenging traditional, gendered aesthetics of art and nature. The sculpture offers a perspective on our relationship to the natural world, and invites us to reflect on the ways we impose our will on the landscape and how it affects our sense of identity.