There’s a great moment in the documentary on Andy Goldsworthy, Rivers and Tides, when describing his process, Goldsworthy says, “When I make a work I often take it to the very edge of its collapse and that’s a very beautiful balance.”
Looking at Heather Jansch’s driftwood horse sculptures reminds me of that delicate balance, as each of her pieces appear to be precariously challenging gravity, while at the same time deeply rooted in its base.
Jansch, 60, who lives and works in Devon, England, has been a sculptor for close to 40 years, and creates beautiful life-sized sculptures of horses and other animals out of driftwood found on beaches. With each branch and trunk of wood visibly twisting and flowing to become the bones, tendons, and muscles of the animal, her works can seem fragile as one wonders how they are held together (she uses different techniques for each statue). Yet, even without seeing the screws, wire, or metal structures that hold each piece together, the statues are incredibly lifelike and just as sturdy and solid as the real animals they so marvelously represent.
Check out more of Jansch’s amazing sculptures on her site: heatherjansch.com
—Chris Tackett
About the Author:
Chris Tackett is a fan of the internet and self-described news junkie. Chris brain dumps on Twitter (http://twitter.com/christackett), enjoys biking and making art, and currently works as a social-media marketer and writer for TreeHugger.com and PlanetGreen.com, all while living in San Francisco.
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