Land Art

Overview

Creating Art in and with the environment is a form of art that does not harm the environment in any way- what you create is ephemeral. This is a module for people who want to have a connection with the great outdoors and Aberystwyth offers the artist a unique environment.

This course facilitates the produce of artwork that relates to the natural environment, through group activities and self-generated projects. By focusing on specific environments students will develop their aesthetic and conceptual responses, their understanding of place and the qualities of natural materials. You will be working in woodlands, the river bank and at the beach. The module will be based at the School of Art for lectures but you will need access to transport to get to locations close by. It will be possible to walk but you will need to adhere to the course timings.

The module aims to develop awareness of the discipline within a range of contextual discourses: contemporary art since 1950; the wider historical perspective of artistic response to nature and landscape and recent political/social/scientific developments in the understanding of the environment.

You will need a camera or smart phone to document your work.

Programme

This is a four-day workshop in Land Art which will give participants an opportunity to create work outside and explore the river, forests and beaches of Aberystwyth. The module aims to develop awareness of the discipline within a range of contextual discourses: contemporary art since 1950; the wider historical perspective of artistic response to nature and landscape and recent political/social/scientific developments in the understanding of the environment. 

Creating Art in and with the environment is a form of art that does not harm the environment in any way - what you create is ephemeral. This is a module for people who want to have a connection with the great outdoors and Aberystwyth offers the artist a unique environment. This course facilitates the produce of artwork that relates to the natural environment, through group activities and self-generated projects.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module, students should be able to:  

1. Demonstrate an awareness of the style and characteristics of Land Art and related sculpture through photographic documentation of the process.
2. Plan and produce an art-work in a selected environment and explain the reason for the choice of materials and its limitations.
3. Demonstrate an awareness of the historical development of Land Art and site specific work.

Reading Suggestions

In preparation for the course, it may be worth thinking about what the environment means to you, the materials you see in your environment and design ideas of potential works. I will cover different approaches to creating works in the land, composition skills, artists who create works in the land and the materials they use. The materials list and costs are minimal, depending on what you have already. The actual drawing materials will be found at the different sites.  

Entry Requirements

This course is for everyone. No previous experience is needed and there are no formal entry requirements.

What Do I Need?

A list of materials, not included in the course fees, will be available prior to the course start date.