At the end of the 1960s, a contemporary artistic movement emerged, combining artists from all over the world and new artistic techniques. Land art was born from the idea that Art and nature are inseparable. The emphasis is on the use of natural materials such as wood, earth, water or air. The exploration of new spaces to express their sensitivity prompts artists to question Nature and the environment.
Enormous works of art
The earliest works of land art are exhibited in vast desert areas in western America and are called “earthworks”.
This new artistic current does not represent Nature but uses it as a tool for creating the final work. Thus works of art leave museums and exhibition galleries to end up outside.
But in those years, the “earthworks” were most often masterful works like the Spiral Jetty (500 m long) on the Great Salt Lake by Robert Smithon. These works permanently alter the landscape, while today, most works of land art are ephemeral and doomed to patina, live and disappear in a natural way with time and under the effects of the elements. This idea refers to the cycle of life.
Because of its temporality and the exhibition area which is sometimes inaccessible, it is often photography and illustration that allow land art artists to bear witness to their creation outside the walls and to integrate them into museum exhibitions. For the general public, it is on social networks that one finds a multitude of shared works of art.
Land art, a transversal educational tool
In recent years, the practice of land art has become more democratic and everyone wants to try it, including in schools. It must be said that nature is an inexhaustible source of creativity and represents a beautiful transversal educational tool. Land art is located at the crossroads of several courses such as plastic arts, Earth Sciences and Life, History of the Arts and of course Education for Sustainable Development. This art makes it possible to put into practice many educational objectives such as a sense of observation, creativity, artistic expression, the links between science and the arts, the development of critical thinking….
Danger of land art for biodiversity
Whether by the sea or in the mountains, we frequently come across ephemeral works produced by everyone. Today just by wandering the coast we realise the public’s enthusiasm for land art. On the beaches, for example, there are many piles of pebbles of all sizes stacked, representing “cairns”. They have become stars on Instagram! While most people know that collecting sand or flora from dunes is punishable by law, few wonder about the consequences of their creation on biodiversity. However, the movement and removal of these pebbles weakens the entire ecosystem. They act as natural ramparts to the waves and are often home to microscopic flora and fauna. Many birds hide there to nest and incubate their eggs, such as plovers.
Art, yes, but respecting nature!
Enjoy the beauties that nature offers you and leave them in the wild.
Building a cairn is therefore not forbidden, but after the photo, remember to put the stones back where you found them!
To go further…
Find our thematic dossier devoted to ocean protection and marine protected areas on the Spindrift for Schools website and access all the documents that can be downloaded from our educational resources, for free.
Patrick Straub’s book “Art Terre ; La nature en projet – Du land art avec les enfants à l’école” where many ideas are proposed as well as educational objectives and expectations in connection with the school programme. http://patrick.straub.pagesperso-orange.fr/Land_art/Peda_frames.html
The spiral Jetty video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-N3vbH52bQ
Homework
Artistic education is conducive to the project approach and land art allows the practice of interdisciplinary pedagogy.
Cycle 1 and 2: organisation of a collection of natural elements (wood, leaves, earth, mosses, walnut shells, etc.) while respecting the environment. Observation of the landscape and the collected object. Creation of a collective ephemeral work in the playground. Keep track by photographing the work. One can imagine making seasonal works while identifying the differences in objects collected in fall, winter and spring!
Here’s an example : https://web.ac-reims.fr/dsden10/exper/IMG/pdf/landart_pratique_cycle_2.pdf
Cycle 3 : after looking at works of land art produced by contemporary artists, students are asked during a nature outing (forest, beach, park, etc.) to make a personal composition through natural elements found in a short period of time. They can be inspired by the artists studied (example with Jetty’s Spiral). We can also link this achievement to a theme worked on in class. We then draw the work of art and take a picture of it.
Sources
Photos © shutterstock
http://patrick.straub.pagesperso-orange.fr/Land_art/Peda_frames.html
http://www.landarts.fr/index.html
https://www.francetvinfo.fr/culture/arts-expos/street-art/l-oeuvre-geante-de-saype-pionnier-du-land-art-pour-defendre-l-environnement_3648261.html