Nationality
American
Artist Dates
1930-2010
Title of Work
Preview
Date of Work
August 1978
Medium
35mm color slide
Collection/Provenance
Art & Design Study Collection: James Smith Pierce Collection.
Status
Stored: JSPX-CN-001
Location
UND Art Collections Repository
Artist Bio
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 photographer, exhibition curator, and art collector.
Additional Information
James Smith Pierce purchased a 17-acre plot of land east of the the Kennebec River in Clinton, Maine. 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.
This photo pictures the early stages of Kiva, the first piece that Pierce began working on in the summer of 1970. Kiva was inspired by a Native American form of housing construction.
Image is provided for educational purposes only. © University of North Dakota. All rights reserved.
Condition
Excellent
Condition Notes
35 mm slide in excellent condition. Digitally preserved 2019.