Groundswell: Women of Land Art - by Leigh Arnold (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Using materials such as earth, wind, water, fire, wood, salt, rocks, mirrors and explosives, American artists of the 1960s began to move beyond the white cube gallery space to work directly in the land. With ties to Minimal and Conceptual art, these artists placed less emphasis on the discrete object and turned their attention to the experience of the artwork-however fleeting or permanent that might be-foregrounding natural materials and the site itself to create large-scale works located outside of typical urban art-world circuits. Histories of Land art have long been dominated by men, but Groundswell: Women of Land Art shifts that focus to shed new light on the vast number of earthworks by women artists. While their careers ran parallel to those of their better-known male counterparts, they have received less recognition and representation in museum presentations-until now. This book includes five scholarly essays, as well as a detailed chronology, exhibition checklist, and illustrated biographies of exhibition artists. Groundswell is a resource for readers interested in understanding the historical Land art movement and our own relationship to the earth."--

Book Synopsis

A bold reappraisal of Land art through the pioneering work of 12 women sculptors

Published with Nasher Sculpture Center.

Using materials such as earth, wind, water, fire, wood, salt, rocks, mirrors and explosives, American artists of the 1960s began to move beyond the white cube gallery space to work directly in the land. With ties to Minimal and Conceptual art, these artists placed less emphasis on the discrete object and turned their attention to the experience of the artwork--however fleeting or permanent that might be--foregrounding natural materials and the site itself to create large-scale works located outside of typical urban art-world circuits.
Histories of Land art have long been dominated by men, but Groundswell: Women of Land Art shifts that focus to shed new light on the vast number of earthworks by women artists. While their careers ran parallel to those of their better-known male counterparts, they have received less recognition and representation in museum presentations--until now.
This book includes five scholarly essays, as well as a detailed chronology, exhibition checklist and illustrated biographies of exhibition artists. Groundswell is a resource for readers interested in understanding the historical Land art movement and our own relationship to the earth.
Artists include: Lita Albuquerque, Alice Aycock, Beverly Buchanan, Agnes Denes, Maren Hassinger, Nancy Holt, Patricia Johanson, Ana Mendieta, Mary Miss, Jody Pinto, Michelle Stuart and Meg Webster.

Review Quotes

This nuanced sensitivity is part of what makes Groundswell an extraordinary exhibition. Another is its wider, enriched view of land art. Mostly, though, it is the fascinating work of its 12 artists.--Lauren Moya Ford "Hyperallergic"

Given the fleeting nature and live components of many land-art pieces, the book is both a celebration of the women artists working in the genre and a necessary resource for documenting such groundbreaking and transient additions to the canon.--Grace Ebert "Colossal"