tiny tings

big pieces, little boxes

thingsorganizedneatly:

“Place/Displace” An installation of objects from Spiral Jetty, Sun Tunnels, Double Negative, Roden Crater, Lightning Field & Amarillo Ramp by Hannah Barnes & Jacinda Russell, 2009

in the discussion of landscape architecture theory, one topic that regularly arises is the intersection of landscape architecture and land art / earthworks. one of the most prominent figures of the earthworks movement, robert smithson, claimed his largest influence was frederick law olmstead - the father of modern landscape architecture and the architect of new york’s central park.

for smithson, along with many other land artists, the idea of site-specificity played an integral role in what defines the actual piece. often, smithson would photograph ephemeral constructions and claim the photograph, not the construction, was the work of art. sometimes the photographs would be displayed in galleries along with material removed from the construction site. other pieces, notably spiral jetty, were site-specific, and the integrity of the work depended completely on its location.

all that said, i really love these collections of bits gathered from famous earthwork installations, and the idea of distilling and compacting the physical components of such monumental pieces.