Environmental Art Project: Begin Planning Now

Above: Goose Nesting Platform by Lynne Hulle

Environmental Art: Semester Project

1. Take a virtual field trip and survey the work of at least four or five contemporary environmental artists including the early work of Lynne Hull.
2. Design, execute, and install your own environmental art project.
3. Decide what you are going to do, where you are going to do it, why you are going to do it, how you are going to do it, and when you are going to do it.

• If you work as a team, appoint a team leader and create a calendar with assigned tasks.
• If you work alone, create a calendar and assign the tasks to yourself.
• Keep in mind that for this particular assignment, your finished piece must be both aesthetically pleasing and fully functional.
• In general, the materials you use to construct the piece must be environmentally friendly and bio-degradable. Stone, of course, might be an exception.
• Choose an outdoor space: your backyard, Modie Park, an island in the Clearwater River.
• Be sure you have permission to use the space, and get the permission in writing. I will privilege those projects that make use of the commons and public spaces.
• Document every phase of the project, preferably on film but certainly in writing.

Perhaps needless to say, I will fail those projects that turn out to be anthropocentric, that is, human centered: for instance, a swimming pool for human use created by temporarily damming a creek would result in failure even if ducks used the pool as well. On the other hand, creating a nesting site for birds—a cat-proof birdhouse for native species—might qualify, and so might a cat-proof bird feeding station. A duck blind would not.

You must make a formal proposal and receive my personal permission on your written proposal before you begin.

Your purpose and your rationale are extremely important. To begin with, you might ask yourself, how will this piece of art benefit native plants or native species?