In this book, Kastner describes the importance of a person’s connection with their environment. It is one of the contributors of the human condition. We worship and destroy the environment. He describes how as human’s we “We aspire to leave our mark, inscribing our observations and gestures within the landscape, attempting to translate and transgress the space within which we find ourselves… Landscape functions as a mirror and a lens: in it we see the space occupy and ourselves as we occupy it.”
Landscape art first began by a group of artists who all shared the idea that sculptural creativity could exist in a world away from institution, in an organic location. These artists were Michael Heizer, Robert Morris, Robert Smithson, Dennis Oppenheim, Wa;ter De Maria.
The critic Barbara Rose also described how artist’s turned to landscape art through
“A dissatisfaction with the current social and political system results in an unwillingness to produce commodities which gratify and perpetuate that system” (critic Barbara Rose, 1969, Artforum article).
I learnt from this book there are many different types of landscape art, which include:
PLATFORM: This is when artist’s work with the local community to restore damaged environments caused by human intervention. Goals :”to [provoke] desire for a democratic and ecological society… [and to] create an imagined reality which is different from the present reality”.
Performative: process based nature of land art based on mark-making, cutting, agglomeration and relocation.
Landscape interruption: joining the environment and human activity by employing man-made materials ranging from asphalt or glue: the works expand to match the large scale of the environment itself. They use manufactured substacnes and structures; to harness natural elements.
Involvement: Works here focus on the artist as an individual acting in a one-to-one relationship with the land. Some artists use their bodies to make a performative relationship with an organic environment. Emphasizing a primal link with the earth. Others react against, by making transitory and ephermal gestures. Examples of this: an artist taking a walk across a field, subtly realigning elemnts within it to mark their passage. Artists also use their bodies to map the landscape, presenting photographic documentation of their journies. Relevant artists:Kazu Shiraga. Peter Hutchinson. Charles Simonds.
Reflecting on my own practice I believe I work within a combination of these categories, such as Platform, Performative and Landscape interruption. Although I like the idea of creating more performance based work as an important aspect for my work is to be able to cycle/run/walk to a rural location and “discover”. This is a vital part of the creative process for me.
