Land Art

  

                                

                             Michael Heizer
                                       "Double Negative" 1969 Mormon Mesa, Nevada



"Rift 1" 1968  Nevada Desert



Film stills of Robert Smithson's "Spiral Jetty" 1970



Robert Morris "Observatory" 1970 Netherlands

Land Art originated in the USA in the late 1960’s. The success and subsequent failure of modernism combined with a mixture of events such as the first images of the earth from space from the Apollo 8 mission in 1968, the Vietnam War, the threat of a nuclear war and the danger of a population explosion  sparked an intense and emotional response from artists.  The realization of how precious human existence is led this new art form to directly engage with the physicality of the earth itself. By manipulating the landscape artists were able to validate the acceptance of the environment around us and make a physical mark on the world; validating the presence of humanity. The vastness of some of the Land Art works is compelling and very powerful. The earth and the materials the land provides are mediums I very much engage with.