Acquired by the University of North Dakota in 2010, the James Smith Pierce image collection is extensive in content. This particular collection documents Pierce's work on the various earthworks of Pratt Farm.
A Garden of History
Pierce purchased a 17-acre plot of land east of the the Kennebec River in Clinton, Maine, where in 1970 he began the first earthwork. He spent the next 15 years crafting 20 distinct pieces of land art on what was called Pratt Farm, or, as Pierce called it, a “garden of history.” His work on Pratt Farm spanned millennia by blending earthworks with local and foreign history.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, James Smith Pierce received his PhD in art history from Harvard University. During his career as a professor, Pierce also became an accomplished artist, whose artworks were included in important exhibitions (including a show on land art at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC) and books on contemporary earthworks and site-specific sculpture. Pierce was also a published author, photographer, exhibition curator, and art collector.
For more information about this collection and other James Smith Pierce collections, please contact the University of North Dakota Art Collections.
Images are provided for educational purposes only. © University of North Dakota. All rights reserved.
