Abstract
Following Robert Smithson’s dialectical definition of earthworks according to their site and nonsite components, this paper traces how the subsequent works of Ana Mendieta and Cameron Rowland pursue forms of erasure in order to complicate notions of specificity and presence in the field of land art. Mendieta’s “earth/sculpture” directly confronts the presence of the body in relation to the land as a matter of memory, while Rowland’s reclamations of “real estate” challenge the very notion of property. Both of these innovative careers expand upon Smithson’s initial terms and practice, but also affirm the complexity embedded in his efforts to reshape the earth as an aesthetic and ethical endeavor.
Presenters
Timothy AndersonAdjunct Assistant Professor, English, Pace University, New York, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Robert Smithson, Ana Mendieta, Cameron Rowland, Land Art, Earthworks, Aesthetics
