Landscape Forms- A Beginner’s Guide
Landscape forms are a type of land art that emerged in the late 20th century. Landscape forms are usually created on a large scale and can be made from a variety of materials, including natural elements like rocks, soil, and trees, as well as man-made materials like concrete, metal, and glass.
Landscape forms often seek to create a dialogue between the man-made and the natural world, and many artists use them as a way to comment on our relationship to the environment.
What are landscape forms?
As we mentioned above, landscape forms are a type of land art that emerged in the late 20th century. While there is no one definitive answer to the question “What are landscape forms?” they are generally considered to be large-scale artworks that are made from a variety of materials, both natural and man-made.
Many landscape forms seek to create a dialogue between the natural and man-made worlds. For example, Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty consists of 1500 tonnes of black basalt rocks and earth that were brought to Great Salt Lake in Utah by bulldozer. The spiral shape references both Ancient Greek architecture and modern industrial landscapes. In this way, Smithson made comments on humanity’s relationship to the environment.
Types of Landscape Forms
There are many different types of landscape forms, each characterized by its own unique features. Some popular types include:
Sculptures: Sculptures are perhaps the most popular type of landscape form. They can be made from a variety of materials, including stone, wood, metal, glass, and even earth. Sculptures can take many different forms, from abstract shapes to representational figures.
Installations: Installations are another popular type of landscape form. Installations often make use of light or sound and can be interactive or passive in nature. Richard Long’s A Line Made By Walking is an example of an installation; it consists simply of a line that Long created by walking back and forth across a grassy field until the grass was flattened into submission!
Drawings: Drawings can also be considered a type of landscape form. This type usually incorporates natural materials like rocks, soil, leaves, or twigs into arrangements that recall human markings like writing or drawing (hence the name!).
3D Art: Like drawings, 3D artworks often incorporate natural materials into human-made structures or shapes. Andy Goldsworthy is one artist who regularly works in this genre; his site-specific installations often make use of found objects like stones or branches arranged in geometric patterns or shapes.
Compilations: A compilation is a type that brings together different kinds of works by one or more artists under one umbrella term. For example, The Centre Pompidou in Paris has an extensive collection of outdoor sculptures by artists like Alexander Calder and Joan Miro scattered throughout its grounds; these could be considered part of a larger compilation known as “The Pompidou Collection.”