A Reaction to Modernity

Earthworks and Land Art truly took off in the 1970s-80s as a reaction against Modernism. Before it subsided in mid-80s, Land art had become widespread across America. While Land art is not prevalent today in the Midwest, people should be able to recognize or remember the few pieces that are present, from Andrew Leicester's Cloverleaf (1982) at the intersection of 494 and 35E, to Mel Chin's Revival Field (1990-1993) in West Saint Paul at Pig Eye's Lake landfill.

Following Minimalism and Post-minimalism, Land art found its niche as art outside the gallery setting. Around the same time sculpture gardens, like the Walker in Minneapolis, were constructed in an effort to break out of the box of formalism. Although the Walker was constructed as a reclamation of a wasteland area in Minneapolis, the formalism of the gallery aesthetic pervaded the outside space, thereby killing any Land art intentions of specific sculptures.

In terms of Art History,  Earthworks and Land art can be seen as a movement in reaction to a reaction:

Finally, Earthworks and Land art are not unique to America, though there are qualities of American Land art that differ greatly from say, European land art. While American Land artists worked to comment on the industrial by making works that attempted to conquer nature, literal gouging in the landscape (Michael Heizer, Double Negative, 1969-1970), British Land artists like Richard Long (A Line Made By Walking, 1967) and Andrew Goldsworthy (Balanced Rock Misty, 1977) worked to celebrate the pastoral setting, connecting with nature, working with it, and leaving no trace.