Art History Friday

Earthworks
Before Earthworks, There Was...

Conceptual Art (1950s-1970s) Minimalist Art (1960s - 1980s)

Earthworks
Also called Land Art, Earth
Art, and sometimes Site
Specific Art
Began in October 1968 with an
exhibition called Earthworks in
New York City
Artists rejected traditional
galleries
They wanted to make artwork
that couldnt be bought or sold

Richard Long, A Line Made By Walking

Earthworks
Artists wanted to make works of
art from natural objects - soil,
rocks, plants, water, etc.
Earthworks are ephemeral -
they change and disappear with
time.
Influenced by environmental
activism in the 1960s

Maya Lin, Wavefield

Robert Smithson
Born in New Jersey, studied art in New
York City
The first Land Artist, created the term
Earthworks
Wanted his work to show entropy - the
unavoidable decay and death of
everything that exists.
He wanted to show that entropy was a
good thing - it led to rebirth
Started by bringing piles of rocks and
dirt into gallery, then created
sculptures that were fully in nature
Robert Smithson, Spiral Jetty
Spiral Jetty
Built in 1970
Great Salt Lake, Utah
Built of mud, salt, and
basalt rocks
Site was chosen for the red
color of the water (from
algae) and for a nearby
abandoned industrial site
Sculpture was built by a
construction crew while
Smithson directed them,
standing in hip-wader boots
in the water
Agnes Denes
Born in Hungary, lives &
works in America
Her family fled Hungary to
escape the Nazi regime
Language barriers led her to
focus on the arts
Her Land Art explored our
shared responsibility of
caring for the Earth
Agnes Denes, Wheatfield: A Confrontation. Downtown Manhattan, NY
Wheatfield: A Confrontation
Built in 1982 on a landfill in Lower
Manhattan, two blocks from Wall
Street and the World Trade Center
towers.
The field was dug, planted, and grown
by hand. When harvested, it yielded
over 1000 pounds of healthy wheat
which was taken and planted around
the world.
Commentary on world hunger, waste,
and misplaced priorities
Andy Goldsworthy
British sculptor, works in Scotland
His work explores how natural
objects grow and decay
For temporary sculptures, he uses
only his hands, teeth, and found
tools.
Photographs his work, but the
sculpture is the art - not the
photograph
"It's not about art. It's just about
life and the need to understand
that a lot of things in life do not
last."
 Rowan Leaves & Hole

Iris Leaves with Rowan Berries

Some Other Examples...

Sonja Hinrichsen, Snow Drawings

- Stone Quarry Hill
Some Other Examples...

Walter de Maria, Lightning Field -

New Mexico
Some Other Examples...

Richard Long, Muir Pass

Stones