Following on from the Land Art day, we wanted to share with you some Land Art which has inspired us and to talk a little about what Land Art is.
Land Art in a nut shell (Thank you Wikipedia) “Land art / Earthworks / Earth art is an art movement which emerged in the US in the late 1960s and early 1970s, in which landscape and the work of art are inextricably linked. It is an art form that is created in nature, using natural materials with introduced materials such as concrete, metal, asphalt, or mineral pigments. (although the original, more simple Land Art was created with natural materials alone)”
Some things which are sometimes important within Land Art are: Accumulation (collecting thousands of one type of item, such as twigs, leaves, rocks. Sometimes looking for a certain type, i.e. twigs of similar sizes, leaves of certain colour, which leads onto the second important thing, placement, a common theme within Land Art is order, displaying things in patterns, size order, collections, piles, grids. Ephemerality is something very important about Land Art. If you create something with entirely natural materials, in the outdoors, it will erode from being exposed to the elements. This element of the loss of control is central to Land Art, it’s part of the process.
Processes of creation are sometimes the most interesting thing about an art work. With Land Art, there is an experience to be had. How do you feel when you’re in the woods? Is it a place to meditate, to find focus? Usually it takes some time to become absorbed in a space, and this is where some Land Artists find that they create their best work. They are at one with nature, working with soil and rock, away from people and cars. Senses are fully engaged and there is a lot of problem-solving; finding the right materials, finding ways to attach things to one another or even working hard to make the sculpture fade in with the surroundings.
Often people ask artists ‘what makes you create’ or ‘why do you make artwork’ and this will always be a difficult question where it’s hard to put into words what drives you, but with Land Art, there are some real tangible reasons on top of the usual reasons for creating:
- The experience of spending long periods of time in nature is very peaceful and engaging. There is a certain clarity that comes with the fresh air and being in nature.
- We can all do with investing some time into exploring our natural world: modern life takes us further and further away from trees, forests and soil and more towards Ipads, earning and shopping. When we’re creating in nature, we discover and learn
- Play! Being in a forest immediately makes me want to play Hide & Seek, (which is a good tip for your land art lunch break!) and giving yourself challenges such as collecting 1000 similar shaped sticks is fun and playful.
- You can create Land Art anywhere, you’re not required to carry any materials.
Here are some examples of Land-Art that we have been excited by. All of the following images are here to inspire you to get out there and create.
Sylvain Meyer
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Anthony Goldsworthy More here and an article about his Land Art created in Provence (this image is one of the pieces) here
Jens J Meyer ‘ ‘Tornado’ for Forest Art Wisconsin
“The installation invades an open space in the forest, a clearing in between the trees. The white, slim and quick pieces of cloth are forming a circuit, an orbit of movement, spiraling up like a swarm of birds. Creating at the same time an open space inside, which can easily be accessed. The installation will give the visitor a calm place inside the rapid movement, the ‚eye’ of the tornado, a space for contemplation, for stopping and staying, for being out of the ‚rush’ and rotation of everyday-life.”
‘Autumn Leaves’
The two images above belong to the British Richard Shilling, a prolific land artist. Love the detail in this piece, named ‘Turning Season Sun Wheel’ made with leaves and a frame made from dogwood. Here’s his blog and here’s his Twitter. Richard also works with Julia Brooklyn on Land Art For Kids – not just great for kids but adults too. Nice and simple descriptions and how-to’s.
