Art in the Land: A Critical Anthology of
Environmental Art

Alan Sonfist, 1983
“A growing concern for nature has appeared worldwide over the last two decades. Art has always reflected the questioning of a society by itself and often takes an active role in the search for the answers to those questions. This concern for nature is manifesting itself strongly in the United States, where American artists are proposing answers through their work. A group of artists whose work makes a statement about man’s relation to nature has appeared over the last decade. These artists have at one time or another used natural substances such as earth, rocks, and plants in much of their work and have frequently constructed the work outside on natural sites. Although these artworks refer to nature, the artists’ methods, styles, and even intentions vary widely. They really cannot be said to form distinct groups but to occupy places on a broad spectrum . At one end of the spectrum the idea of monumentality, of earth moving, is made possible by industrial tools: bulldozers, dump trucks, and so forth. 

The work these artists produce gives rise to thoughts o f‘wide open spaces,” unlimited amounts of American land, and the tradition of its conquest. These artworks were built to speak of themselves, not the land they occupy. At the other end of the spectrum there are artists pursuing the relatively new idea of cooperation with the environment, which they see as necessary because of the threat of its destruction. These artists respond sensitively to the works site, changing it as little as possible. This group is especially interested in stimulating an awareness of nature and the Earth. The artists’ awareness of the Earth is growing worldwide, but the United States has become the center of artistic activities focusing on the idea. Art in the land is an American movement. The experimental atmosphere in the United States has led to the development of this innovative art within only a few years. In addition, it is significant that America still possesses great quantities of land to which artists have access.“
Shelving
Ecology