Environmental Art

1118 Words3 Pages

Environmental art is a genre of art that was established in the late 1960’s and it was created by things found in nature to make a piece of art. Some of the the environmental art would be so large in size, that it would be considered to be monumental. This kind of art can not be moved without destroying it, and the climate and weather can change it. There are many reasons why an artist would create an environmental work of art, such as : to address environmental issues affecting earth today, to show things that could be powered by nature or be interactive with natural phenomenon (like lighting or earthquakes), or to show how people can co-exist with nature, or maybe use it as a means to help restore ecosystems in an aesthetic way. (greenmuseum) Based on the artworks of Michael Heizer, Walter de Maria, and Robert Smithson, that have created and expanded the wonderful genre of environmental art. The major concepts underlying their art will define the roots of this genre throughout history.

Michael Heizer was born in Berkeley, California in 1944. He was the son of an anthropologist and the grandson of a geologist, which has a great influence on his artwork. He attended the San Francisco Art Institute from 1963 to 1964, and then he moved to New York in 1966. His early works consisted of abstract paintings and sculptures. In 1967, he began the new genre of “land art” or “earth art”. Double Negative was one of his most famous works of art, and according to doublenegative.com, it is considered to be the “best known example of earth art.” It is “two trenches that cut into the edge of the east mormon mesa”(double negative). He began to do a piece named “city” in 1972, and he continues to work on it till this very day. In 1995, ...

... middle of paper ...

...art.

Works Cited

Tarasen, Nick. “Biography.” “Double Negative.” “The City.” Double Negative: A Website About Michael Hiezer. Retrieved 4/21/2011. http://doublenegative.tarasen.net/heizer.html

“Walter de Maria.” Art We Love. Retrieved 4/21/2011. http://artwelove.com/artist/-id/963b7d6d.

“Michael Hiezer.” Art we Love. Retrieved 4/21/2011. http://artwelove.com/artist/-id/e514dd37

“Walter De Maria: The Lightning Field.” Dia Art Foundation. 1995-2011. Retrieved 4/23/2011. http://www.diacenter.org/sites/page/56/1375

“Robert Smithson: The Spiral Jetty.” Dia Art Foundation. 1995-2011. Retrieved 4/23/2011. http://www.diaart.org/sites/page/59/1380

“Biography.” RobertSmithson.org. 2004. Retrieved 4/24/2011. http://robertsmithson.org/biography.php

“What is Environmental Art?” Greenmuseum.org. 2010. Retrieved 4/21/2011. http://www.greenmuseum.org/what_is_ea.php

More about Environmental Art

Open Document