Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Defining "Earthworks"

EARTHWORKS:
(noun) -- artwork where the art and the landscape are combined, also known as "land art"

The term "earthworks" was coined by Robert Smithson, whose famous Spiral Jetty serves as a ground-breaking example of earthworks. Art is created using natural materials (earth, sand, stone, etc.) and some introduced materials (cement, glass, etc.) to accomplish an aesthetic goal. Land art can exist in its natural environment (the Spiral Jetty, for instance, fluctuates with being underwater and above water in the Great Salt Lake, UT) or in a gallery environment.

Earthworks artists are also known as "Land Artists" and we will be focusing on several throughout the writing of this blog.

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