by James Crump, USA 2015, 72 '
| SCREENPLAY: James Crump | PRODUCER: Farley Ziegler, Michel Comte, James Crump |
| PHOTOGRAPHY: Alex Themistocleus, Robert O’Haire | PRODUCTION: Ronnie Sassoon |
| EDITING: Nick Tamburri | DISTRIBUTION: in Italy Wanted Cinema |
| SOUND DESIGN: Gary Gegan, Rick Ash | LANGUAGE: English |
Presented at Lo Schermo dell’Arte Film Festival 2015
The film traces the history of Land Art through original footage and the stories of several of the movement’s protagonists: Robert Smithson, Walter De Maria, Michael Heizer, Dennis Oppenheim, Vito Acconci. They put the contradictions of modern culture into discussion and broke barriers between painting and sculpture to produce works on a monumental scale in the vast spaces of the USA’s Southwestern deserts, in which architecture, landscape, sculpture and photography converge. Their work still appears revolutionary, not only because it’s incompatible with gallery spaces, but because it’s in contrast to the laws of the marketplace, and goes against the canons of art. Director James Crump has produced a tribute to their courage, showing how the works’ natural settings have modified from their original positions, creating a dialogue between the artist and the natural world. Historical commentary by critic and curator Germano Celant.
James Crump
Director, curator and art historian. He is the author or co-author on many books on contemporary art and the history of photography. From 2010 to 2013 he was curator of the Cincinnati Art Museum, where he organized many shows. He has collaborated with museums and galleries, including The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, and the International Center of Photography, the Grey Art Gallery, and The Drawing Center in New York.
Selected Filmography
The film traces the history of Land Art through original footage and the stories of several of the movement’s protagonists: Robert Smithson, Walter De Maria, Michael Heizer, Dennis Oppenheim, Vito Acconci. They put the contradictions of modern culture into discussion and broke barriers between painting and sculpture to produce works on a monumental scale in the vast spaces of the USA’s Southwestern deserts, in which architecture, landscape, sculpture and photography converge. Their work still appears revolutionary, not only because it’s incompatible with gallery spaces, but because it’s in contrast to the laws of the marketplace, and goes against the canons of art. Director James Crump has produced a tribute to their courage, showing how the works’ natural settings have modified from their original positions, creating a dialogue between the artist and the natural world. Historical commentary by critic and curator Germano Celant.
James Crump
Director, curator and art historian. He is the author or co-author on many books on contemporary art and the history of photography. From 2010 to 2013 he was curator of the Cincinnati Art Museum, where he organized many shows. He has collaborated with museums and galleries, including The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, and the International Center of Photography, the Grey Art Gallery, and The Drawing Center in New York.
Selected Filmography
2007 Black White + Gray