Musings on time and nature

When being in a landscape, when you are outside, do you really see, smell and hear what surrounds you? Do you become aware of the chatter of the birds, the clicking of insects, the whispers of the wind through the branches of the trees?

Yesterday I was walking on a sidewalk in the city and I saw the sparkles of pieces of broken glass on the paving, with sunlight catching on the edges of the shards in the same way it touches the waterdrops on the lake and backlights the seed pods on reeds rocking in the wind. Yesterday I walked through Cape Town's Company Gardens, and I listened to the sound of the pigeons and other birds. I watched as two squirrels chased each other over the lawn - playful, quick and carefree... Completely caught up and present in the moment.

I spoke to someone yesterday who mentioned that the older he gets, the quicker time seems to go. I replied saying that it might be that we try and put too many things into the spaces of  time available to us. What if we take a bit of time each day to do nothing - to just absorb, smell, feel, touch, think about, see, taste, hear, and appreciate what we have around us at the present moment? This is essentially what Land Art is to me - an expression of being, reflecting and expanding one moment. One extraordinary moment in the landscape, and making it timeless. Connecting myself to the earth through digging into the sand with my hands, caressing the rough bark of a tree or a soft velvety leaf, or holding smooth pebbles tightly in my hands before arranging them into a circle that could symbolize infinity and wholeness.

What if we are actually infinite beings, caught in a moment, in a place, in a body. What if the touch of my bare feet on the pine needles at the feet of Deer Park's trees is a moment of connection with the ancient spirit of earth that will last my lifetime? What if we could all experience timeless moments and an infinite profound appreciation for everything around us? What if we were all more aware and in rhythm with the cycles and time of the earth? Would we still chase our goals, societal status and monetary wealth in a race against time? Or would we be content within our sacred space of time, our special and connected moment, right here, right now.


Written by Janet Botes


................................................................................................


On another note, hop over to read the article "Land Art: Ephemeral Beauty, Eternal Bliss" - land art as a creative activity for kids here, which I accidentally came across while researching land art. And if you're on Pinterest, follow Vered Bar's very inspiring board Horticulture, Land/Earth Art.

Ecological Land Art Walk - sleep under the stars!

---

Join for a two-day facilitated walk exploring the ecology of place through Land Art. Nature’s Valley to Keurbomstrand 13 & 14 August 2013

R 1 400 per person, sleep under the stars, fully catered.

Web registration page at: www.walkandnature.com 
or email: simonmaxb@gmail.com for more info.

---

The Site_Specific SIDES Programme: CALL FOR PROPOSALS

click to enlarge

Site_Specific International Land Art Biennale
10 - 17 August 2013, Plettenberg Bay

Site_Specific hereby invites proposals for contemporary site specific land art works with the focus on using natural materials, and to create work that is ephemeral and embracing of the natural beauty of Plettenberg Bay.

20 SIDES ARTISTS

The second Site_Specific International Land Art Biennale will take place in Plettenberg Bay 10 - 17 August 2013. This year, Site_Specific will be opening the event to 15 more artists to create their work in Plettenberg Bay alongside the core group of invited artists from Germany, South Korea and South Africa.

We realised that there are many artists that want to be part of Site_Specific, although we can only financially support a core group of invited artists. Thus we have decided to invite an additional maximum of 20 artists as a ‘fringe’ group on the basis and mutual understanding that they will work independently.

These Site_Specific SIDE artists will have the opportunity to join the invited artists in the programme schedule for the period, including lectures, discussions, workshops and social events. The SIDES work will be on display in the same area as those of the invited core group, and will be included in the Site_Specific catalogue documenting the event.

PARTICIPANTS WILL RECEIVE:

1. Support in identifying a site for your art work and the permission from all the relevant authorities.
2. Inclusion in the official programme and catalogue of Site_Specific 2013.
3. Participation in the evening lectures, discussions, workshops and social events of Site_Specific 2013.
4. Inclusion and exposure to all media that will cover the event.
5. On approval of your proposal, you will receive a Site_Specific Participant Passport, that will entitle you to significantly discounted accommodation and other offers at Plettenberg Bay establishments.

CALENDAR

1. Application deadline: 2 May 2013
2. Selection of artists: 2 June 2013 
3. Working on site in Plettenberg Bay: 10-17 August 2013
4. Opening event: 17 August 2013
5. Closing and dismantling of art work: 18 August 2013

CONDITIONS

1. Artists will be responsible for their own transport, accommodation, meals etc.
2. Artists will be responsible for their own material, tools, realisation and installation of art work.
3. Artists will accept and obey all the rules and guidelines provided by Site_Specific during the week long event.

COPYRIGHT

Site_Specific reserves the right to publish photographs and films showing the exhibited art works.

HOW TO APPLY

Please send the following information to sides@sitespecific.org.za by 2 May 2013.

1. A concept drawing of your proposed art work showing it from different angles.
2. Explanation: title, technique and size of the proposed art work.
3. List of materials that you plan to use.
4. Describe a preferred site along the Milkwood Trail in Plettenberg Bay (including Main & Robberg Beach) that you have in mind for the work. Other sites can be considered if relevant.
5. Supply a time frame for installing your art work and taking it down on 18 August 2013.
6. Supply your name and contact details (email address and mobile phone number).
7. Proof of EFT payment, please use SIDE plus your name as payment reference i.e. SIDEnameSurname.

APPLICATION FEE

Please pay ZAR 250.00 into our account to help cover administrative costs.

FNB, Account name: K2102029381
Account no.: 62353123335
Rosebank branch code: 250655
Reference: SIDEyourName

Proposals without proof of payment will not be processed.

Call for proposals: international Environmental Art Residency

2013 Environmental Art Residency Program/Biennale: September
I-Park Foundation, East Haddam, Connecticut, USA

Application Deadline: Monday, April 1, 2013

A call for proposals to those working in the following creative fields:

• Environmental sculpture/installation
• Landscape/garden design
• Music composition, sound sculpture/design
• Performance art
• Language arts
• Architecture
• Photography, moving image
• Inter-disciplinary practice

Artists will create their works on site during their residency for presentation at the Biennale. 12 – 15 artists will be selected to participate. A $2,000 prize will be awarded to each participant or collaborating team to create the work, and transportation costs of up to $1,200 for artists travelling to and from other countries like South Africa. Lodging and meal service provided during the residency. There is a $30.00 entry fee.

To find out more and apply, go to:

• www.i-park.org/special-programs/2013-environmental-art-residency-program
• Environmental Art FAQ
• Application Materials

Earth Work in April 2013 at the Smithsonian

Land Reform, an earth work by Strijdom van der Merwe will be 'revealed' on Friday, 19 April 2013 at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington. 

EDIT, 15 April 2013: 

The finished work
Land Reform, at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. Independance Avenue, Washington DC. "Earth Matters: Land as Material and Metaphor in the Arts of Africa"
Artists: Strijdom van der Merwe

"With this work I'm showing the earth is pushed away (or an ideology, a culture or a land reform process is rolled back) and the original landscape that is hidden underneath the current surface is revealed. The red pins symbolize the stake of those claiming the land and to refer to the historical process of 'marking' the land. Every generation will claim what it believes belongs to them and in the process opens up layers of historical meaning." - Strijdom van der Merwe, www.strijdom.co.za

Roses and Tokoloshe Traps in Namibia

This blog is usually focused on featuring land art and site specific work by South African artists. Even though she's not a South African artist, I think it is well worth featuring environmental artist Imke Rust.  

In her recent environmental land art she draws the attention to the threats posed to the Namib Desert through ever-growing mining and industrial activities. ‘Subrosa’, an installation of 99 roses made from black rubbish bags and barbed wire, which were temporarily planted in the desert, shows her concern about the secrecy and corruption surrounding the exploitation of natural resources. With the work ‘Tokoloshe Trap’ the artist tries to protect the land by symbolically trapping all real or imagined environmental dangers. These ‘traps’ consists of thousands of white thorn pairs, arranged in 39 circles in a dried-out riverbed.

 Subrosa 2012

Temporary Installation of 99 black roses in the Namib Desert

22° 43’ 01” S – 14° 33’ 47” E,  April 2012

Original Dimensions: 90 x 270 x270cm

Black rubbish bags, barbed wire, wire

Read more about this work

Tokoloshe Trap 2012

Temporary installation of 1521 white thorn pairs from the Acacia Karroo tree arranged into 39 circles in a side tributary of the Swakop river bed,
Namib Desert.

22° 38’ 10” S – 14° 43’ 40” E, April 2012

Original dimensions: 5 x 600 x 250 cm

Medium: Acacia thorns

Read more about the inspiration behind this work

View her website for more information about her work,
which includes land art, interactive projects, and works on paper.

http://imkerust.com

Site-specific Water Tree at Woordfees, Stellenbosch

'Boom van Kennis van Good en Kwaad' 
Anni Snyman & PC Janse van Rensburg & vriende

Site_Specific, Anni Snyman: "2013's water installation is symbolic of tears, whilst drawing attention to the vital nature of water as the MATRIX of life. Mankind's reckless treatment of water through processes such as fracking, amongst many others, is threatening the future sustainability of our land and it's natural water resources.

The installation extends the symbolism of 2012's apple installation that drew attention to the abuse of the feminine, to include our culture's destruction of the natural, our land base, mother earth - the life force itself."

Woordfees 2013, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa

"Water vloei. 
Daarmee verteenwoordig dit ‘n ruimtelike voorstelling van tyd. 
Daar is niks wat so belangrik is vir die voortgang van aardse lewe, 
of wat die voortgang van lewe so goed simboliseer as water in beweging nie. 
Vanaf sy insepsie beveg die westerse simboliese orde tyd en 
daarmee saam lewe in die vorm van die vloeibare."
- From the Site_Specific Hiernamaals Exhibition Catalogue

Sien meer van die boom by www.facebook.com/sitespecific.landart, asook youtu.be/KdVSRZSjyqs