Artbound

50th Flashback: Earthworks #4
To commemorate KCET's 50th anniversary, "Artbound" dives into the vaults to uncover groundbreaking arts programming that aired during the 1980s and 1990s, featuring land art from environmental artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Lita Albuquerque, and Rachel Rosenthal.
TRANSCRIPT
[CAPTIONS MADE POSSIBLE BY KCET
TELEVISION]
>> NEXT, FIVE CONTEMPORARY
ARTIST TRAVELED THROUGH
PICTURESQUE CALIFORNIA AND
DISCOVER THE MAGIC AND POWER OF
THE LAND.
>> OF ALWAYS HAD THE SENSE THAT
ESPECIALLY IN THIS COUNTRY,
THERE'S A NOTION OF MAN OVER
NATURE.
>> NOBODY SEES THE LAND.
>> JOIN US AS THEY CREATE ART
FROM NATURE ON "ARTWORKS,
EARTHWORKS."
♪
>> FIRST OF ALL, GOING OUT TO
THE DRY LAKE BEDS, THE REASON I
GO THERE IS BECAUSE OF THE
CREDIBLE EXPANSE OF WHITE, IT'S
ALMOST LIKE A BLANK CANVAS.
IT'S USING THE EARTH AS A BLANK
CANVAS.
IT'S VERY MINIMAL IN TERMS OF
MINIMAL ART.
ANYTHING YOU DO TO IT WILL POP
OUT BECAUSE IT'S THAT INCREDIBLE
EXPANSE OF FLATNESS.
I GO OUT THERE WITH THE ENTIRE
CREW AND THE FIRST THING WE DO
IS THAT WE LOCATE THE DIRECTION
LINES, THE NORTH, EAST, SOUTH,
AND WEST POINTS.
THIS PARTICULAR PIECE HAS THE
SUNDIAL ON THE NORTH, EAST, AND
WEST POINTS WHICH HAVE SHADOWS.
THE SOUTH, WHICH DOESN'T HAVE
ANY SHADOWS, IS THE STONE.
I JUST LOVE THE DUST TO DUST.
IT'S LIKE PUTTING SOMETHING TO
REST.
WE CAME FROM SOMETHING VERY
SENSITIVE.
ESSENTIALLY WHAT I WAS USING WAS
JUST THE EARTH AND GROUND-UP
EARTH, AND THE NOTION OF DUST TO
DUST WAS REALLY MEANINGFUL TO
ME.
YOU GO THERE AND YOU ARE
APPLYING THESE SEGMENTS THAT GET
BLOWN BY THE WIND.
IT IS THE EARTH ITSELF YOU'RE
PUTTING BACK IN THERE.
WHEN I GO OUT THERE TO DO A
PIECE, IT'S NOT PLANNED OUT.
IT'S NOT MATHEMATICALLY WORK
OUT.
I HAVE A CERTAIN IDEA OF WHAT I
WANT TO DO, AND I START DOING.
AND IN THE PROCESS ITSELF TAKES
OVER, SO IN CREATING, I SET IT
UP SO THE CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT,
AND THEN LET THE PROCESS START
IN THE LIFE OF THE PEACE AS IT'S
CREATED.
MY PIECES ONLY LAST A FEW HOURS.
PEOPLE SAY HOW CAN YOU SPEND
YOUR TIME DOING THINGS THAT
DON'T LAST.
THE FIRST TIME I FELT I HAD
RUINED A PIECE PERIODIC IS
CRYING, IT WAS TERRIBLE.
I REALIZED IT WAS SAYING
SOMETHING.
IT MADE ME AWARE OF THE POWER OF
NATURE.
WE DID IT.
WOW.
IT'S GREAT.
THAT IS NICE.
THAT CIRCLE LOOKS FABULOUS.
ONE OF THE REALLY EXCITING
THINGS IS THAT WE ARE IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE REVOLUTION IN
PERSPECTIVE.
I'M SPEAKING TO THAT.
I'M SPEAKING TO THAT CHANGE IN
PERSPECTIVE.
I'M ALSO SPEAKING OF THAT
CONNECTION TO THE EARTH.
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SQUARE, IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE CIRCLE, AND
THE MIDDLE OF THE DIAMOND.
YOU'RE COMPLETELY IN THE CENTER
AND YOU ARE CONNECTED.
>> THE PROJECT IS THE UMBRELLAS.
IN CALIFORNIA ON INTERSTATE
FIVE, THE NORTHERN PART OF LOS
ANGELES COUNTY.
20 FEET TALL AND 20 FEET IN
DIAMETER.
I STARTED TO WORK ON THE PROJECT
IN 1986.
I HAD TO PUT TOGETHER ALL MY
IDEAS AND CONVINCE PEOPLE OF THE
PLACE WHERE EACH UMBRELLA SHOULD
GO.
AT THAT TIME THERE WERE DRAWINGS
.
IT WAS ONLY MY VISION.
LET'S GO ON UP WITH IT.
>> WE STARTED TO MOVE THE
STRUCTURE TO THE SITE, IT WAS
VERY ENJOYABLE, VERY EXCITING.
WE STARTED WITH 1500 UMBRELLAS
IN CALIFORNIA AND 1600 UMBRELLAS
IN JAPAN.
WE COMPLETED THE WORK IN THREE
WEEKS STARTING OCTOBER 21.
IS LIKE THE RENAISSANCE OF THE
ROOF OF THE HOUSE.
WHAT WE'RE REALLY BUILDING, WE
ARE BUILDING HOUSES WITHOUT
WALLS.
I LIKE IT BECAUSE IT MATCHES THE
POLL.
NOT ONLY ARE WE CHOOSING THE
COLOR, WERE CHOOSING THE FABRIC,
THE MOVEMENT OF THE WIN, THAT
ENERGY OF THE FABRIC.
>> YOU CAN LOOK AT THE SUN
THROUGH THAT FABRIC.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE LOOKING AT THE
SUN, BARRING YOUR EYES.
-- BURNING YOUR EYES.
>> NOW WE WILL CHANGE THE CLOTH
ON THIS ONE AND TRIED AGAIN.
>> SOME OF THESE SLOPES ARE
RATHER PRECIPITOUS.
I DID HAVE SOME DIFFICULTY IN
UNDERSTANDING OR BELIEVING IT
WOULD BE POSSIBLE, BUT THEN
AFTER SEEING HOW HE APPROACHES
THE PROJECT USING ENGINEERS AND
OTHER TYPES OF SPECIALISTS, I'M
PRETTY WELL CONVINCED NOW THAT
IT'S DOABLE.
>> I WOULD END THE ROPE THERE.
THE TAPE GOES HERE, YOU WOULD
NEVER SEE IT FROM THE OUTSIDE OR
THE INSIDE.
>> THERE IS TOO MUCH FREE FABRIC
HERE.
THAT'S NUMBER TWO.
>> WHAT WE ARE DOING, YOU CAN
TELL THE DIFFERENCE AND THE
SIMILARITY, HOW PEOPLE LIVE IN
THE SURROUNDINGS.
YOU CAN REFLECT VERY VIVIDLY AND
VERY STRONGLY.
YOU HAVE A RELATION TO URBAN
PLANNING.
NOT ONLY THE PHYSICAL QUALITY
BUT ALSO THE AREA CALL CHARLIE
HOW IT IS USED BY HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.
-- OF THE AREA CULTURALLY, HOW
IT IS USED BY HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.
>> IT'S VERY MUCH LIKE A LOT OF
THE STAGES IN LOS ANGELES THAT
ARE ABOUT THESE IN BETWEEN,
THESE INTERSTITIAL SPACES.
THE PARTS THAT ARE FASCINATING
TO ME ARE NOT THE OPTICS, IT'S
THE STUFF BETWEEN, THE
COLLISIONS OF THINGS.
IT'S A MANIFESTATION OF THAT.
I'VE ALWAYS HAD THE SENSE THAT
ESPECIALLY IN THIS COUNTRY,
THERE IS A NOTION OF MAN OVER
NATURE VERSUS WIT, OR SOMEHOW
CONNECTED.
AND THE NOTION OF THE BUILDING
WHICH SUPERSEDES THE SITE, WHICH
IS ALWAYS PLACED ON THE SITE TO
COMMUNICATE THAT IT IS MORE
IMPORTANT THAN THE SITE.
IN THIS CASE, WE WERE TRYING TO
FIND A BALANCE.
AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT A SITUATION
WHERE THE BUILDING IS
SURROUNDING THE SITE.
IT IS GATHERING THE SITE.
SO WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS THE
BASIC CENTER OF THE SITE IS LEFT
UNTOUCHED, AND THE BUILDING IN
THIS CASE WORKS AROUND A
CIRCULAR WALL WHICH IN FACT
ENCLOSES THE SITE, WHICH HAS TO
DO WITH ALSO PRODUCING THE
BOUNDARIES IN A VERY
CONVENTIONAL SET OF NOTIONS
WHICH TALKS ABOUT WALLS AND
PLACING, OCCUPYING A SITE AND
SEPARATING IT, A WALL THAT IS A
BARRIER FROM THE EXTERIOR WORLD,
BUT IN FACT LEAVES THE PEACE
UNTOUCHED.
THIS IS THE CRAWFORD HOUSE.
WHAT YOU ARE SEEING IS ACTUALLY
A SINGLE HOUSE THAT IS BROKEN
DOWN INTO FOUR PIECES.
THIS IS A GUEST HOUSE.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE MAIN HOUSE
IN THE UPPER PART OF A SITE
WHICH IS BROKEN DOWN ITSELF INTO
TWO PIECES, A BEDROOM KIND OF
PRIVATE WING AND A SOCIAL KIND
OF LIVING WING.
THIS IS THE FAR SIDE OF THE SITE
BEHIND WHAT'S GOING TO BE A
TOPIARY WALL.
THERE IS A STUDIO IN THE GARAGE.
THE HOUSE IS A PROCESS.
YOU ARE LOOKING AT SOMETHING
THAT EVOLVED FROM ONE DIRECTION
THAT IN FACT METAMORPHO SIZED
INTO SOMETHING ELSE, WHICH IS
REALLY THE WAY THAT ALL WORK
DEVELOPS IT AWAY.
IT STARTED OUT WITH A VERY
SYSTEMATIC SET OF PYLONS.
THESE CONCRETE PIECES, AND IN
FACT THEY ARE ALL CONCRETE.
THE IDEA WAS THERE GOING TO BE
THE TOTEMS WHICH HAD A
PREHISTORY THAT WERE SET ON THE
SIDE.
THEY REPRESENTED THE FIRST
MAN-MADE SET OF OBJECTS THAT
WERE PLACED ON THE SITE AND IT
WAS MANDATORY THAT THEY WERE
FREE OF ANY LIBERAL AND
FUNCTIONAL USE.
THESE PYLONS WENT ACROSS THE
SITE.
YOU CAN SEE THE FIRST ONE, WHICH
IS THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEFT
PURE AND IT WAS MADE OF
CONCRETE.
THE NEXT ONE YOU SEE HAS A PIECE
OF ITS OUTLINE IN WOOD.
THE PIECES MARCHED THROUGH MAKE
UP THE BASIC ORGANIZING RHYTHMS
OF THE BUILDING.
THE PYLONS AND THAT EARTH PIECES
THAT MAKE UP THE SPATIAL RHYTHM
OF THE BUILDING.
ALSO THE SKY PIECES, THE TWO
THINGS MAKE UP THE EARTH AND THE
SKY AND THE BUILDING ESSENTIALLY
IS THE THING THAT COMES BETWEEN.
THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF ENERGY IS
INSTILLED IN THE PLACES THAT
HAVE THE MOST VALUE AND
ACTIVITY.
IN THIS CASE YOU ARE LOOKING AT
THE ROOM WHICH IS THE MOST
PREVALENT SPACE AND THE HOUSE
AND THE MOST FORMAL SPACE.
IT COMES WITH THE PIECES OF THE
LANGUAGE IN TERMS OF THE NOTION
OF INTERACTION, WHERE ROOMS OF
LESS SIGNIFICANCE ARE SIMPLER
AND HAVE LESS STYLE.
IT IS EXPRESSING THE
CONTEMPORARY CONDITION AND
COMING TO GRIPS WITH REALITY,
HAVING TO DO WITH THE COMPLEXITY
OF THE WORLD, HAVING TO DO WITH
THE IMPERFECTION OF THE WORLD.
>> I DON'T CONSIDER MYSELF AN
ENVIRONMENTALIST.
IN FACT I SORT OF HATE THAT
CONCEPT.
I JUST CONSIDER MYSELF A
CITIZEN.
I PHOTOGRAPHED THE DESERT IN
THIS AREA AS SORT OF A METAPHOR,
AND ENVIRONMENTAL METAPHOR OF
THE HUMAN CONDITION IN THE SENSE
THAT THE IMAGES I'M ABLE TO
BRING UP HERE CALL FORTH A LOT
OF OTHER ISSUES OF HOW
CIVILIZATION HAS TREATED THE
NATURAL LANDSCAPE.
AS OPPOSED TO PHOTOGRAPHING AND
GOING AND FINDING THESE PERFECT
CURLS OF MOVEMENT, I'M
INTERESTED IN WHAT WAS DONE IN
THAT RELATIONSHIP.
THE MAIN PROBLEM WITH THE SIERRA
CLUB IS THAT EN MASSE THEY ARE
PERPETUATING A MYTH THAT KEEPS
PEOPLE FROM LOOKING AT THE
TRUTH.
THE SALTON SEA IS ACTUALLY A
MAN-MADE LAKE.
WHAT HAPPEN IN THE EARLY 1900S
WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL IRRIGATION
PROJECT WITH THE COLORADO RIVER
COMING FROM ARIZONA, THERE WAS
AN ENGINEERING DISASTER AND THE
WATER CAP POURING INTO THE
SALTON SEA, MAKING IT THE SALTON
SEA.
IN THE 1970'S, THE IRRIGATION
COMPANY PUSHED TOO MUCH WATER
INTO IT AND FLOODED OUT ALL THE
PEOPLE THAT OVER THE YEARS HAD
COME TO LIVE ALONG THE SEASHORE.
SO IT'S SORT OF LIKE A FLOOD
MUSEUM.
SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PLACE, WHAT
I WAS SAYING BEFORE THE BEAUTY
OF THE MOUNTAINS OVER THERE, THE
SALTON SEA, VIRTUALLY VACATED.
IT'S AN INCREDIBLE PARKING LOT
OF CIVILIZATION.
CARS DECOMPOSING.
THE BIGGEST QUESTION THAT CAN BE
AIMED AT MY WORK IS, AM I
PHOTOGRAPHING THE AWFUL THINGS?
BEAUTY AND HUMOR ARE TWO
INCREDIBLY POWERFUL STRATEGIES
TO ENGAGE PEOPLE.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL METAPHOR, --
WE WALKED INTO THE 21ST CENTURY,
SORT OF LIKE THE SALTON SEA,
JUST BROKEN DOWN BUILDINGS AND
CARS AND COLLAPSING FREEWAYS AND
THE POST-APOCALYPTIC VISION.
THE DEAD MAN -- DEAD ANIMALS I
HAVE BEEN PHOTOGRAPHING OUR NEAR
A MILITARY BASE IN NORTHERN
NEVADA.
AN AREA THAT IS SUBJECTED TO
ATOMIC TEST LIKE IN 1963.
IF EVERYBODY JUST DID A LITTLE
BIT, IF EVERYBODY CONTRIBUTES A
LITTLE SHARE, IT WOULD BE MUCH
MORE POWERFUL THAN A HANDFUL OF
PEOPLE GOING OUT AND SACRIFICING
FOR THE CAUSE.
I HAVE AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD SON AND
I THINK EVER SINCE I'VE HAD HIM
IT HAS ABSOLUTELY TURNED MY
WHOLE IDEA AROUND.
IT'S FRIGHTENING TO ME, THE SORT
OF THING I ENVISION FOR HIM IN
THE NEXT 20 YEARS IS SCARY.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT I CAN
SORT OF PULLED THE BEAUTY OUT OF
THIS ABYSS THAT WAS CREATED.
>> DURING MY FIRST BIG VACATION
OF YEARS IN THAT DESERT I WAS IN
NEEDLES DOING MY LAUNDRY WHEN
THIS OLD CODGER CAME NOSING
AROUND THE VAN.
HE SAID WHENEVER I SEE A SINGLE
IN A VAN, I LOOK FOR THE L.O.W.
STICKER.
I SAID WHAT IS THAT?
HE SAID LONER ON WHEELS.
I WAS DISQUALIFIED BECAUSE I GOT
MARRIED.
I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, LONER ON
WHEELS.
I GUESS I WAS THAT ALL RIGHT.
IN GAIA.
GAIA, THE EARTH.
GAIA IS ABOVE.
EVERYWHERE I LOOK, THERE IS
GARBAGE.
AS FAR AS I CAN CLIMB IN THE
REMOTEST CANYON I SEE IT.
CARCASSES, JOCK.
-- JUNK.
I CRY A LOT.
I DO CEREMONIES.
I LOOK MY AGE.
60.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND AGING, OR
DYING, NOT REALLY.
I MUST REMIND MYSELF THAT I'M
60, I AM A CRONE, AND I WILL
DIE.
60.
OUR AVERAGE LIFESPAN IS ABOUT 75
YEARS OLD NOW.
SINCE THE EARTH IS ABOUT 4.5
BILLION YEARS OLD AND OUR SON
WON'T BECOME A RED GIANT FOR
ANOTHER 5 MILLION YEARS, IN
HUMAN TERMS IT MEANS THAT GAIA
IS ABOUT 30.
MUCH TOO YOUNG TO DIE, WOULDN'T
YOU SAY?
UNDER THE VAST SKY, IN THE
DESERT, SHEER UGLINESS AND
INSULT.
IT TAKES MONEY TO MAKE THESE
TOWNS.
WHO DREAMS THEM UP?
DON'T THEY HAVE EYES?
DON'T THEY SEE THE LAND?
WESTERN INDUSTRIAL LAND, WHO
WOULD IGNORE THE PLACE, THAT
CONNECTION?
WE ARE ALL MONSTERS, AREN'T WE,
ALL OF US?
CHRISTIANS, MUSLIMS, ALL
DESCENDENTS FROM THE FUNDAMENTAL
MONSTER, ANCESTRAL ATOMS, NOT OF
WOMAN BORN.
JUST LIKE FRANKENSTEIN.
6000 YEARS AGO.
I GUESS HE COULDN'T TAKE FEMALE
CONTAMINATION.
GET THOSE OUT OF MY SIGHT.
ONLY A MONSTER OF NOT OF WOMAN
BORN WOULD BE SO STUPID WOULD BE
SAWING OFF THE BRANCH HE SITS
ON.
ONE TIPTOES AROUND THE SICK BED.
THE JACK RABBIT, THE KANGAROO
RAT.
I FEEL ISOLATED AND SHUNNED.
I WANT THE MOTHER TO KNOW ME BY
SIGHT AND ENGULFED ME IN HER
ARMS AS SHE DOES ALL THE OTHER
DWELLERS.
BUT OF COURSE I'M NOT A DWELLER,
I'M A TOURIST.
AFTER ALL THOSE DECADES, STILL
HOMELESS.
MY CORE MELTS WITH LOVE FOR YOU
AND COMPASSION AND TENDERNESS.
I COULD KILL LIONS FOR YOU, GAIA
.
I AM FILLED WITH LOVE.
FORMIDABLE P