Art must be considered a process rather than the simple manifestation of the result. True art comes from within oneself, rising up through the unconscious to surprise the artist at work, who standing back realises they have been co-creators, that the finished piece was moulded by them, crafted by them, but the true source was from within, far from the crying echoes of the ego.
So, how about a stone that has been naturally sculpted by nature? Is that art? Can that be considered a piece?
As an artist I do think it is. It has arisen from within, in this case within the earth and sculptured by the River Dart. But can it still be considered human art?
It is only by creating space and time within life, that the artist can discover these pieces. It only by developing an eye for natural art that allows the beauty of nature to be revealed.
It is hard work to remove these pieces! Standing in a cold river and submerging the whole body in order to get a good grip on a rock is exhilarating as well as dangerous. They are heavy. Some piece require several people to be able to birth them into the world.
So what is art? What is beauty?
You decide for yourself.