The New Earthwork: Art Action Agency (Perspectives on Contemporary Sculpture) - Softcover

The newer earthworks, many of which are contemplated in this book, tend to be more modest in scale and more solutions-oriented. . . . I highly recommend this rich, dense and thought-provoking book. -- Barbara Lloyd McMichael * The Bellingham Herald * The book is enjoyable with clear prose and illustrations advocating environmental idealism and activism already practiced by a remarkable cadre of sculptors. -- James Croak * artnet * This pithy text will appeal to libraries of fine art, ecology, and social action. Highly recommended. * Choice *

For more than 40 years, sculptors have been at the forefront of environmental and ecological/social innovation, making works that treat the earth as creative partner rather than resource and raw material. The new earthwork, which is currently at the leading edge of sculptural practice, means art for the future of humanity and the planet; it means a new approach to aesthetics and the role of art in our lives; it means a sustainable and vital artistic practice that not only solves problems but dares to ask questions and seek answers across disciplinary boundaries. Working in the land to solve agricultural, habitat, and water problems; using new materials and technologies; employing, and sometimes generating, alternative energy sources; taking action and educating about recycling, frontier biology, and genetic engineering, these artists demonstrate how art can open people's eyes, drive change, and envision more than one possible future.