Contemporary Art in Context is a program intended to ground the art of today in art history. In the case of the sixth course, comprised of three lectures, the program is presented in conjunction with the LAND/ART project, and will examine the rich heritage of the history of land arts. It will meet in November 2009 on Tuesday evenings at 6 pm.

The first lecture, presented by SITE’s Phillips Director, Laura Steward, will explore the principles of land arts beginning with the rise of the land arts movement in the 1970s and will focus on artists such as Robert Smithson and Michael Heizer. The second lecture, presented by Joanne Lefrak, SITE’s Education and Catalogue Manager, will investigate the poetics of land arts in which artists create environmental works for evocative or aesthetic purposes. Lefrak will examine artists such as Andy Goldsworthy and Richard Long. The final lecture, presented by Janet Dees, SITE’s Thaw Curatorial Fellow, will address the politics of land art, delving into topics such as the environmental impact of land arts. Dees will discuss artists and artist groups such as Peter Fend/Ocean Earth Development Corporation and Center for Land Use Interpretation.