Exploring the intersection of ecology and art during the 1960s and 1970s, this book presents a fresh perspective on environmental art that transcends traditional definitions. It highlights how artists used diverse media to express complex ecological ideas and the interconnectedness of the material world. James Nisbet examines various artworks as sensory interfaces that engage with evolving ecological concepts, reflecting a cultural shift in understanding our environment. This investigation reveals the intricate relationship between artistic expression and ecological awareness during a transformative era.
Focusing on the preservation of cultural heritage, this reprint from Antigonos publishing house highlights the importance of making historical works accessible to the public. The publishing house is dedicated to ensuring that these valuable texts are available in good condition, reflecting their commitment to maintaining the integrity of historical literature.
"In the decades following World War II, artists and designers developed the land art movement, consisting of outdoor artworks that can exist only in a specific place. Major works within this genre include Walter De Maria's Lightning Field (1977) located on an isolated high-desert plain in New Mexico; Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty (1970) in the Great Salt Lake, the concrete cylinders of Nancy Holt's Sun Tunnels (1976), located in the Great Basin Desert in Utah; and other projects that nestle into environments ranging from open fields to concrete cityscapes. These works are typically depicted as they were when originally constructed. Yet their environmental contexts have transformed due to weather, agriculture, climate change, land-use policy, and more. In Second Site, James Nisbet presents the first sustained argument on how to account for the passage of time and environmental change in site-specific artworks, ranging from Richard Serra's Shift (1970)-whose initial small-farm-setting is now a growing exurb of Toronto-to Ant Farm's Cadillac Ranch (1974) and Nancy Holt's Dark Star Park (1984). Nisbet argues for an ecological reading of the artworks' environments, and coins the term "second site" to argue that manmade artworks and non-living things have their own durations but co-exist in the continuous experience of an environment. Any single photograph or experience of a site can provide only one view of an ever-changing existence. Nisbet advocates for new methods of evaluation, conservation, and depiction in order to "read" the content of these sites of time. In doing so, he uses site-specific artworks to help understand what it means for humans and their cultural production to live in an ecologically volatile world"-- Provided by publisher
