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Land art, also known as Earth Art, is an artistic movement that peaked in popularity in America in the 1960s. It was created in rebellion against traditional forms of art and to fight the increasing commodification of art. Land artists sought to create art that could not be sold or replicated by turning to natural landscapes as their canvas. The site of the art was particularly important as the artist interacted directly with the environment, often utilizing the materials present at the art site. The movement became intertwined with the growing environmental movement, using art as commentary on urbanization and the destruction of nature. While sculptures were a common form of expression in Land Art, photography played a crucial role due to the impermanence of the artworks and their location-specific nature. The death of the prominent land artist, Robert Smithson, and the economic recession of the 1970s resulted in the decline of the movement.

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Influences of Ancient Monuments in Land Art

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Influences of Ancient Monuments in Land Art

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Land Art was heavily influenced by prehistoric works such as Stonehenge and pyramids around the world. These ancient structures served as examples of humans engaging with their natural environment to create a lasting artistic creation. These works of great magnitude inspired artists within the land art movement to consider how they can best use the relationship between humans and their natural environment to create art. Similar to these great structures, artists creating land art often utilize the natural materials found at the site of their art in order to enhance the landscape. Additionally, the scale and the permanence of these structures led artists to think beyond traditional artistic mediums.

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One of the main influences of land art was minimalism. Minimalism as an art form sought to strip art down to its most basic elements- allowing a greater focus on aspects such as form and color. As most land art is situated in a natural environment, the rugged terrain provides an emphasizing juxtaposition of the minimalist lines and colors. The influence of minimalism can be seen in many iconic land art works, where the elements of simplicity, form, and integration with the environment are central to the artistic expression

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Perhaps the most famous of all the movement’s art, Spiral Jetty was constructed by artist Robert Smithson in 1970 on the northeastern shore of the Great Salt Lake. It consists of a large coiling jetty made of rocks and earth extending 1,500 feet into the lake. At the time of creation, it was completely submerged in the lake; however, as drought has plagued Northern Utah, the jetty is now often located well above the shoreline. To combat the natural erosion that the site has experienced over the years, there have been many proposed restoration projects. The late artist Smithson believed in the natural degradation of his art which has led to no restoration projects being conducted to date. The Spiral Jetty has become a symbol of Land Art, representing the movement's emphasis on site-specificity, impermanence, and the integration of art with the environment. Despite erosion and changing environmental conditions, Spiral Jetty continues to captivate visitors with its uniqueness and connection to the natural landscape.

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Christo & Jeanne-Claude, Running Fence, 1976

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Running Fence by Christo and Jeanne-Claude

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Running Fence by Christo and Jeanne-Claude

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Running Fence was a monumental art project completed in 1976, by artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Spanning nearly 25 miles in length and standing 18 feet tall, the fence was made of heavy woven white nylon fabric that was hung from a steel cable strung between thousands of steel poles. The art project was designed to be temporary with all materials being removed only 14 days after its completion, with no evidence remaining on the landscape. The project traversed the rolling hills of Sonoma and Marin Counties, in northern California, and extended all the way to the Pacific Ocean at Bodega Bay. The creation of Running Fence required years of collaborative efforts and extensive coordination with the ranchers whose private properties were used and resulted in multiple public hearings. Christo and Jeanne-Claude funded the entire project themselves through the sale of artworks, not accepting any sponsorship. Designed to be viewed by following public roads Running Fence crossed roads and towns, allowing for a unique and immersive artistic experience for those who encountered it.

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Maya Ying Lin, A Fold in the Field, 2013

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Maya Ying Lin is a Chinese-American artist. Growing up in rural Ohio, she was influenced by the Indian burial mounds. She has designed many works that incorporate this inspiration in their design. The largest of these is A Fold in the Field which was constructed in a pastoral field in New Zealand. Her art explores the relationships between us as humans and the environment that we live in.

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Wife of land artist Robert Smithson, Nancy Holt is best known for her work Sun Tunnels. The work is comprised of four large concrete cylinders located in Utah’s Great Basin Desert. The large tubes are constructed to align with the sunrise and sunset of the solstices. Additionally, each of the concrete structures has smaller holes within it representing the stars within a constellation. This artwork is an example of how the land art movement seeks to enhance the viewers understanding of nature through man-made means.

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Christo & Jeanne-Claude, Surrounded Islands, 1983

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Surrounded Islands by Christo and Jeanne-Claude

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Surrounded Islands by Christo and Jeanne-Claude

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Surrounded Islands is another work by the artist duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude. It consisted of surrounding eleven islands in the city of Miami with bright pink fabric for two weeks. The purpose of the great effort was to remind the people of South Florida of the small and often overlooked aspects of the environment in which they live by contrasting the natural greens with the bright pink. During the construction and dismantling of the project, the crews involved cleared over forty tons of garbage. This is an example of how land art can be used to emphasize environmental issues through art.