Earthworks and Beyond: Contemporary Art in the Landscape

By John Beardsley

Book Overview

This invaluable volume now includes the most recent efforts by artistsG often in collaboration with architects and city plannersG to transform ravaged landscapes and desolate cityscapes into pleasure-giving parks and artworks. The book begins with an enlightening introduction tracing the historical roots of art in the landscape: Stonehenge, Indian mounds, cliff dwellings, park design from 18th-century England to modern-day golf courses. The opening chapter deals with such innovative artists as Robert Smithson, Nancy Holt, Walter De Maria, and Christo, who in the 1960s began to free their art from the confines of tradition by constructing monumental sculptures in the environment. The following chapters discuss their predecessors, peers, and successors, including Constantin Brancusi, Herbert Bayer, Richard Long, James Turrell, and many others. The final four chapters (chapter 7 is entirely new) explore at length the increasing involvement of artists in land reclamation and urban design, featuring projects by Michael Heizer, Nancy Holt, Mel Chin, Maya Lin, and many others.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0789208814
• ISBN13: 9780789208811
• Release Date: June 2006
• Publisher: Abbeville Press
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 2.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 8.5" x 10.7"

Customer Reviews

Earthworks and Beyond- John Beardsley

Earthworks and Beyond is a text-book style read that covers a wide variety of earthworks artists. It is fairly straightforward and easy to understand. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in broadening their knowledge and understanding on earthworks in general. Beginning with Michael Heizer in the 1960's, the book goes on to describe well-known artists such as Andy Goldsworthy, Isamu Noguchi, Maya Lin, as well as many lesser-known artists who have also contributed to the earthworks field. This book provides a fairly objective view of both the artists and their work. It explains how the idea and purpose of an earthwork has expanded and developed over time by presenting not only the work itself, but also the goals or motives of the artist- whether they be aesthetic, conceptual, political, environmental...etc. So, although it did not go very in-depth about any particular thing, Earthworks and Beyond was definitely interesting with a lot of information- a good overview on earthworks.

ex-cell-ent!

a vital survey of the world of land art/architecture. everyone moving about the built environment should check this out to get a new understanding of our common landscape and what it can be/can become. highly recommended!