Art is thought of as belonging in galleries and museums, on pedestals in parks, or the walls of peoples’ homes. But early works of art existed in the land, and in the 1960s and 70s, artists returned to this sensibility with new force, leaving traditional art sites and systems to make work outside, which became known as Land Art. What would compel artists to make monumental artworks from earthen materials in remote places, often un-saleable, for whatever audiences would dare venture to see these works, or even no audiences at all?

This class looks Land Art past and present, starting with its historical antecedents, moving to its 1960s and 70s foundation/resurrection, and moving into its present iterations in contemporary art. This class offers a window into the expanded cannon of Land Art, its diverse practitioners and forms, and its overlap with monuments, public art, architecture, sculpture, installation and time-based art. This class will look at Land Art through the lens of environmental responsibility and sensitivity, unpacking this work as it relates and responds to local ecology, and assessing its function vis-a-vis land management, stewardship, preservation, and the fomentation of public awareness around land issues.

What You Will Learn In This Class
1. Land Art works and artists by diverse artists in the expanded cannon.
2. Historic Land Art forerunners and inspirations.
3. 1960s-70s foundational Land Art artists and artworks.
4. Contemporary artists and artworks within the Land Art tradition.
5. Issues in land management, ecological change, durability, and preservation that effect the life and meaning of these works.
6. Key terms and ideas surrounding place-based art and ecological art.
Proposal writing, planning, documentation and execution, aka how to make Land Art happen.