Andy Goldsworthy on Nature and Culture

"The older I become, the more connections I can make between times, experiences and places. I have always felt uncomfortable with the easy categorizations that people sometimes apply to my art. I remember overhearing a comment by a member of an audience waiting for me to give a lecture who was saying that I only use natural materials and no tools. My commitment to what are described as 'natural materials' is often misunderstood as a stance against the 'man-made'. I need the nourishment and clarity that working the land with my hands gives me, but at various times I have made us of light and heavy machinery, and I see no contradiction in using the technology of photography. Pretending I could do without such tools when I need them would be a bit like pretending I could swim to America. Likewise, I live in buildings and should, on occasion, work in them."

-Andy Goldsworthy in his book Time