Waves on the Potomac  It was a fast, cool ride to the Bike to Work Day meeting downtown yesterday morning. With a strong, 15 mph tailwind, the 23 mile ride took about an hour and a half. It was unusual to see whitecaps on the Potomac as I crossed the 14th Street bridge. Since I was early for the meeting, I stopped by the National Gallery to watch progress on the Andy Goldsworthy sculpture project, Roof. The cold, windy weather was probably to the British dry-stone wallers working on the domes of stacked slate being created this month in the outdoor garden of the East Building. The crew were at work as I pedaled off to the meeting. Afterwards I returned to find that everyone had left for lunch. I waited for a while, chatting with another patron looking for a glimpse of Goldsworthy. We discussed the excellent film about his work, Rivers and Tides, my introduction to his art.

As I was riding through the museum courtyard, I noticed a figure sitting on the curb eating a sandwich from a backpack, dressed warmly in down coat and wool cap. I'm quite sure it was Goldsworthy, in his element, eating a simple lunch outside in the cold.
posted by Bruce Wright at 8:10 AM #