I came accros this 2016 BBC film while I was looking for background information on Land and Nature Art (see blog from 17/1/21). We discussed it during our informal student chat today (12 March). This blog post is based on the film, plus my other internet researches on the featured artists, and enriched by our discussion. Thank you all! The film is presented by James Fox, an Art Historian from Emanuel College, Cambridge. Dr Fox specialises in modern art. He discussed art made outside, of Nature, and from Nature. The range of topics was wide, provoking quite a bit of student discussion about the nature of Art. For instance:
Back to Dr Fox: "the greatest Art makes the familiar seem unfamiliar and makes us look at the world in an entirely new way" The selected artists and artworks were all interesting. However, to my mind, not all of it really comes under the umbrella of "Land Art" or "Nature Art". We discussed how important (or not) these labels are; particularly as the categories can be a bit vague. I would suggest that they are useful in organising our thinking. Here is my previous diagram, with the addition of gardens as "Creative Gardening". James Fox did include gardens; indeed, his introduction to the subject was in a traditional walled flower garden. However, the discussion focussed on Henry Hoare's Stourhead estate. Developed from 1744 onwards, that garden was thought to have been inspired by French landscape painting and to embody 'fantasy made real'. Fox states 'all gardens are worlds within worlds' and that they are our attempt to shape and posses nature. Fox also quoted Alexander Pope (1688 –1744) who asserted that "all gardening is landscape painting". In addition to being a poet and essayist, Pope was an authority on garden design, basing his style on what he understood of Classical gardens and architecture. His ideas must have influenced the garden at Stourhead, which includes altered landscape, architectural features and statues with allegorical meaning, perhaps belonging near 'a' on the plan above. Fox then went on to discuss 'the Garden of Cosmic Speculation' created by Charles Jencks, a Landscape Architect. I have not visited that garden, but have seen a number of images. To me, this is not so much a garden but more land art. It is outside, but the living elements are mainly grass. Almost the same effect could be produced by bare red clay (while also avoiding the mowing). The environment and nature are tightly controlled here; the 'stars' are the sculpted mounds and the way they interplay with light. I therefore think it belongs at 'b' in my diagram. In the film Jencks makes the point that these structures need to be bigger than people in order for them to have the effect, and we agreed that this was a place very difficult to judge through images -we should visit then assess. Both these gardens are attached to what are or were private houses and were created for the owners pleasure. However, neither really relate to the more domestic setting and scale that I am aiming my garden ceramics towards. The film started with 'forest' and the work of David Nash. (see also 17th Jan). As a group we discussed the artist's other works, which are made from felled wood and which are subject to more immediate decay than 'Ash Dome'. Nash prefers to use rough hewn wood, and to allow natural processes to take their course, as in 'Cracking Box', which has shrunk and split as the wood dried out . The piece is displayed inside, and is more of a classical sculpture. Another well known work, 'Boulder' , is a nature art sculpture; carved from a large tree trunk it has been set free from its landscape to float towards the sea and disintegrate. Returning to the open air, Fox then focused on Andy Goldsworthy whose work is, I suggest, Nature Art or Environmental Art. He showed the 'Tilberthwaite Fold' and other sheepfolds rebuilt across Cumbria; each one re-using local stone to give new life and meaning to the structures. The artist was shown attempting to build a wall against a dead oak tree trunk -and not achieving it, as the wall collapsed on each occasion. For Goldsworthy at least, who talks about failing to make a work, completion of the art work however fleeting, is the important act, rather than the attempts. Some of Goldsworthy's work is intended to be much more transient than a wall. For example he has made sculptures in ice, nettle stems or this one made with leaves and petals. The themes appeared to vary widely. One, a wall that wandered on and off the boundary with a farmer so that they each were using 'each others' land, challenged 'ownership'. Another was the process of creating out of destruction, ('The Spire', a 90ft tower constructed from felled tree trunks in Golden Gate National Park), yet another was simply raising awareness of the wonderful colours all around us in natural woodland. Goldsworthy explained this in his illustrated Glenmorangie lecture, which is well worth a watch. Dr Fox (and his team!) took a trip to the Outer Hebrides to consider the fire stacks constructed by Julie Brook.(c) These may be unseen by anyone but the artist and prompted interesting discussions on 'does a performance need to be observed ? It was clear that although Fox knew about the fire stacks prior to filming, actually being present was very powerful. The camera crew captured some memorable images. Another artist whose work is mainly in the creation is Richard Long (b1945). In addition to his 1967 work 'A Line Made by Walking' he has also made semi-permanent works in the landscape ('Tame Buzzard Line' 2001) and museum installations. Works such as this one, called 'Granite Crossing' are also for sale on Artnet. To quote a clip in the BBC film "its Art if Richard Long says it is" . The final artist to be featured was the American, James Turrell b1943, whose Quaker grandmother is reported to have told him 'Look within yourself and welcome the light'. Turrell's 'Skyspace' sculpture can be seen at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. It is a frame through which to contemplate the sky. The plain frame may be land art, but the effect surely verges on mindfulness. The film tells us that James Fox was entranced and stayed for many hours, until the light faded. Maybe art is in the experience. Goldsworthy, A. The Glenmorangie Annual Lecture. National Museums of Scotland. 2012 Youtube
Parker, E POET AND… GARDEN DESIGNER? ALEXANDER POPE AT CHISWICK HOUSE AND MARBLE HILL History Uncovered. English Heritage Blog Post 19 May 2018
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI am indulging my passion for ceramics by undertaking studies for an MA at UCLAN Archives
August 2021
|