Crop Art and Other Earthworks [Paperback]

Stan Herd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1994

Since 1980, environmental artist Stan Herd has made the earth his canvas. In this book, more than 65 colour images and the artist's own text capture his art forms.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Herd is an unusual artist. His medium is the earth itself; his palette consists of soil, wheat, sunflowers, and corn; his brush is a tractor; and his images can be seen only from an airplane. What makes a man "paint" portraits and still lives on farmland with crops? Herd is as articulate as he is innovative, describing his motivations and inspirations within a broad cultural context. A child of the heartland influenced by the visions of the sixties, Herd recognized the value of life lived close to the land as exemplified by American Indians, first and foremost, and by independent farmers. He was also fascinated by ancient earth designs visible only from the air, such as those found in the Nazca Desert in Peru. The combination of those inspirations induced Herd to create his first earthwork, a portrait of Kiowa chief Satanta worked into a 160-acre Kansas wheat field. As Herd describes his techniques and all the complexities involved in securing land, equipment, and assistance, we can barely take our eyes off the aerial photographs of his immense, living images. These drawings on the Great Plains, transformed by the cycle of the seasons and the vagaries of weather, arouse our awe at the earth's vitality and beauty, and our delight in humankind's ingenuity, artistic drive, and sense of adventure. Donna Seaman

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (March 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810925753
• ISBN-13: 978-0810925755
• Product Dimensions: 16 x 11.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,056,566 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Love This Book, October 29, 2008

By 

Theseus "theseus" (US of A) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crop Art and Other Earthworks (Paperback)

This isn't going to be the most authoritative and scholarly review in the history of The Internets.

I find myself picking up this book over and over again. The images are beautiful. The process of making them is explained. The whole thing is pretty and bizarre and the really huge format of this book matches the topic.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Herd is a true pioneer for this form of art, January 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Crop Art and Other Earthworks (Paperback)

This is a wonderful book filled with breathtaking color images, each photo a piece of art in itself. Stan is a pioneer of this type of art form. Many people are emulating his work today, using computers or photography. You can find his work mentioned in several other books such as "Earth Works and Beyond" by Beardsley. Many of the images in the book can be found at his web site. All in all it's a great book that your coffee table can't do without!