FA-300 Land Art

3 Credits

This interdisciplinary seminar course explores monumental earthworks and explores land as inspiration; as a medium of expression; and the interplay between them, from ancient to current times. The objectives are to identify and contextualize land art projects that flourished in the American southwest during the 1960s and 1970s. The objectives are to identify and contextualize land art projects from historical, technological, societal and scientific perspectives. Although land art is associated with white male artists, we will expand the genre to recognize pioneering female artists and Indigenous American predecessors and practitioners. In the context of indigenous peoples, we will look at how some land art projects affect sovereignty. For historical context the course will refer to precedents, such as Stonehenge, Chaco Canyon and Peruvian mesa installations. A central question is what draws cultures to expression in such grand settings and how the environment influences the work. Consideration of purpose leads to inquiry into the grand function of art: is the key to understanding measure or metaphor?