Earth Art - what is it? If we hammer a definition for earth art, what of eco-art, land art, environmental art, or earth works?
Let's try this for a working Earth Art definition: a movement in art where the Earth itself serves not only as the channel for the display of work, but also as the medium for the work itself.
How well does this definition hold? Can we think of anything that would fit this, but not be Earth Art?
One might object: Plenty of natural objects from the Earth serve as mediums for art, yet we don't call them Earth Art! For instance, what of a wooden craftsman who is at an art convention held in the woods? There, the Earth is serving as a channel for the display of work, and we are using Earth-elements, namely wood, as the medium. Would we want to grant this as an example of Earth Art?
Good point - it seems that in this case, the spirit of the work is not Earth Art although it may fit our definition. So let's revise our definition:
New Earth Art Definition: a movement in art where the natural state of the Earth is intended to serve as the means for displaying the work, and unaltered natural products of the Earth are used as a medium for the work itself.
I think I can settle on the new earth art definition... for now.
Village Green by Vaughn Bell, 2008
14 years ago
