Wheatfield – A Confrontation is arguably one of the most famous pieces of contemporary Environmental Art, and rightly so. Through this work, Denes created an ever more relevant examination of the inequality and the human destruction of the planet, by the simple act of planting a field of wheat.
The element that makes the work particularly important and relevant for both past, present and future times and current events, is the location of the field. Denes took over a waste area of land in New York City – right next to the Twin Towers and Wall Street. The situation of a field of wheat – something which is very simple and grounded – in an area of the city which is renowned for wealth, business and inequality is a very powerful statement, highlighting the wastefulness and inequality of society – especially in the business sector.
Although the work itself, in terms of the physicality of the piece, doesn’t relate directly to the works that I am creating (although the act of planting in an urban environment is relevant to my rewilding project), the conceptual motivation is similar – challenging conventional or systemic concepts of what is important for people and the planet and what isn’t and calling people to question the system that they are part of. When writing about the work in 1982, Denes commented that:
“[Wheatfield is a] symbol, a universal concept. It represents food, energy, commerce, world trade, economics. It refers to mismanagement and world hunger. It is an intrusion into the Citadel, a confrontation of High Civilization. Then again, it is also Shangri-La, a small paradise, one’s childhood, a hot summer afternoon in the country, peace. Forgotten values, simple pleasures.” Denes, A. (1982) Public Art Fund
Describing the work as simultaneously an “intrusion” and “Shangri-la” expresses not only the duality of the piece; the way in which it simultaneously celebrates the past of Wall Street (trade throughout history leading to the creation of one of the most lucrative and powerful businesses in the world), in addition to the creation of a haven of [managed] nature within the urban sprawl of New York City. This therefore creates a definite link between Wheatfield and my degree project, through which I am attempting to reframe the public’s perception of plants – particularly in the climate crisis – highlighting their uses and value for humans in a time where we are facing the biggest existential threat of our lifetimes. The exploration of “intrusion” and “Shangri-la” is something that I find particularly interesting in Wheatfield in relation to my own work, as it is the reverse of Wheatfield which has resulted in the creation of the climate crisis – the human intrusion and exploitation of the natural world has left us in a position of extremism and polarisation (much like the world of the stock market), meaning that works such as my Endangered Plant Index and Rewilding Project are needed for the world to (hopefully) sit up and take action.
[Image Source: https://www.publicartfund.org/exhibitions/view/wheatfields-for-manhattan/#&gid=1&pid=7]
