When Mother Earth's raw and timeless materials meet the boundless human imagination, you'll find yourself in the world of Eco-Artistry. It's a world where the inherent beauty of natural elements are transformed into remarkable pieces of art. As art enthusiasts, it's a thrilling journey to see how rocks, leaves, twigs, and even mud can give birth to compelling creations that not only make a visual impact but also cultivate an enhanced appreciation for the world around us. In today's blog, I wanted to delve into art created using natural materials - be it from plants, animals, or the ground and all that is not man-made.
One of the earliest expressions of art made from natural materials can be traced back to the Stone Age when prehistoric humans used organic and mineral-based pigments, like metal oxides and iron, to depict their lives on cave walls. A growing number of artists have since explored and continue to explore the limitless possibilities offered by the raw materials provided by Mother Nature herself. Let's take a look at some of these.
The Land Art movement of the 1960s and '70s further propelled the use of natural materials in sculpting, as artists rebelled against consumerism and commercialism. This movement saw artists creating large-scale installations in rural areas, integrating their works directly with nature. These pieces not only showcased the power, expanse, and beauty of nature but also helped cultivate an appreciation for rural living. Walter De Maria (1935-2013) was an influential participant in the Land Art movement and was known for his use of materials directly extracted from nature such as stones, trees, water, and gravel, with the intent to emphasise the temporal duration and potential disintegration of his works. In doing so, he promoted a philosophy that underlined the transient, perishable nature of both his art and life itself. Notably, his art often defied traditional gallery and museum spaces, emphasising instead the immensity and enormity of nature, and used it as a fundamental part of his work.
'The Lightning Field' (1977) by Walter De Maria Photo: © The Estate of Walter De Maria. Photo: John Cliett; July 1979. Courtesy Dia Art Foundation; New York.
His best-known work, 'The Lightning Field', accentuated the theme of art and natural materials. This large-scale installation consisted of 400 stainless steel posts arranged in a grid over an area of 1 mile by 1 km in a remote corner of the New Mexico desert. The installation was designed to harness the power of natural phenomena – during thunderstorms, the steel posts would attract and amplify the effect of lightning, creating a spectacular display of light. The location was chosen for its remoteness and capacity to reflect the vastness of the landscape, with the natural environment being the primary actor in the spectacle. The recurring theme in De Maria's work was emphasising the viewer's relationship with the earth, as well as the earth's relationship with the universe, thus creating experiences that were both physical and psychic. By focusing on these elements, his art invited viewers to meditate on their place within the natural world and contemplate the transience of human existence.
Wheatfield - A Confrontation (1982) by Agnes Denes. Battery Park Landfill, Downtown Manhattan
© Photograph by Agnes Denes
Agnes Denes, a Hungarian-born American conceptual artist based in New York, uses her creations to explore complex concepts and evoke strong emotions - even as she approaches her 91st birthday. In her iconic work, 'Wheatfield—A Confrontation' (1982), the artist transformed a two-acre Battery Park landfill in Manhattan into a wheat field, which yielded over 1000 pounds of healthy, golden wheat, underlining a powerful contrast between the land's $4.5 billion value and its agricultural use. The project highlighted issues like waste management, world hunger, and economic and ecological concerns, stimulating reflections on humanity's priorities. The harvested grain was exhibited globally in "The International Art Show for the End of World Hunger", with seeds disseminated and planted worldwide, further emphasising global unity and collective responsibility.
Yet, while many artists focused on Land Art, others harness the power of natural elements to give a new dimension to their sculptures, showcasing the astounding beauty of nature, and reflecting an in-depth understanding of the organic world that we, as an audience, often take for granted.
Susie MacMurray's work delicately balances matter and place, memory and history, body and spirit, forming a unique intersection of poetry and alchemy. She often uses unexpected materials in unexpected ways to create destabilising artworks that evoke deep contemplation in the observer. Her work is rooted in materiality and poetry, combining unconventional materials like red velvet, feathers, wax, and barbed wire to create installations that provoke questions about vulnerability, resilience, danger, attraction, mystery, wonder, life, and death. Her commemoration piece 'Cloud', was installed to hang from the rafters, representing a looming shadow of darkness from our past. The frame of the cloud is a metal structure, which has had black butterfly netting stretched across. This ‘skinning’ of the framework is combined with a lattice of cable ties and bunching techniques to create the base layer.
'Cloud' by Susie MacMurray, Great Hall, Winchester. Image courtesy of Martin Tod and licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
George Taylor's profound connection to the natural world has led her to pursuit and express the raw, daily realities of life and death on a farm. She found her unique artistic language incorporating natural and residual materials, particularly animal skins and feathers, into her art.
'Erotica Return to Chaos', 2018, by George Taylor. Golden pheasant and kingfisher feathers on board. Image courtesy of the artist
She draws deeply from the writings of the 19th-century thinkers, like French philosopher Gaston Bachelard and his ideas on ‘intimate immensity’. Relating to Bachelard’s correlation of a moment of inner stillness with ‘eternal disquiet’ and the continual cycle of life and death, Taylor’s works are at once mesmerisingly still and full of life. There’s a tussle going on, between the wind that once soared through the feathers, and the rigidity with which they are now stuck together, behind glass.
Artist Andy Goldsworthy creates ephemeral site-specific sculptures using elements such as leaves and stones. His artwork reflects a profound relationship between the materials and their surroundings, and they're left to be reclaimed by the elements after being photographed.
'Stone Houses' Andy Goldsworthy, Metropolitan Museum". Image courtesy of Thom Watson and licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Many of these creations often incorporate the idea of "Ephemeral art," which is made from found natural items and is intended to be fleeting or temporary. It is an art form which encourages people to connect with the environment around them and understand that anything in nature can be a potential tool for creative expression.
From an assortment of rocks, trees, and dirt, to the ethereal beauty of wheat fields, artists worldwide are increasingly using natural materials to create sculptures that are not only visually stunning but also embody a profound message about our relationship with the Earth.
In conclusion, the use of natural materials in sculpting has not only expanded the possibilities of the art form but has also brought us closer to nature. Its a reminder to appreciate the inherent beauty of the world around us and underscored the importance of preserving it for future generations.