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Home > Communities > UND Art Collections > James Smith Pierce Earthworks Image Collection > pf-motte

Pratt Farm: Motte

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.

The images in this collection document the progress and completion of the Motte. This piece was inspired by Norman defense tactics through the use of motte-and-bailey castles. A keep would usually be built atop a raised mound of earth called a Motte.

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.

Images are provided for educational purposes only. © University of North Dakota. All rights reserved.

Printing is not supported at the primary Gallery Thumbnail page. Please first navigate to a specific Image before printing.

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  • 001 Motte August 1975 by James Smith Pierce

    001 Motte August 1975

    James Smith Pierce
    August, 1975

  • 002 Motte August 1975 by James Smith Pierce

    002 Motte August 1975

    James Smith Pierce
    August, 1975

  • 003 Motte August 1975 by James Smith Pierce

    003 Motte August 1975

    James Smith Pierce
    August, 1975

  • 004 Motte August 1975 by James Smith Pierce

    004 Motte August 1975

    James Smith Pierce
    August, 1975

  • 005 Motte August 1975 by James Smith Pierce

    005 Motte August 1975

    James Smith Pierce
    August, 1975

  • 006 Motte August 1975 by James Smith Pierce

    006 Motte August 1975

    James Smith Pierce
    August, 1975

  • 007 Motte August 1975 by James Smith Pierce

    007 Motte August 1975

    James Smith Pierce
    August, 1975

  • 008 Motte August 1975 by James Smith Pierce

    008 Motte August 1975

    James Smith Pierce
    August, 1975

  • 009 Motte August 1975 by James Smith Pierce

    009 Motte August 1975

    James Smith Pierce
    August, 1975

  • 010 Motte August 1975 by James Smith Pierce

    010 Motte August 1975

    James Smith Pierce
    August, 1975

  • 011 Motte August 1975 by James Smith Pierce

    011 Motte August 1975

    James Smith Pierce
    August, 1975

  • 012 Motte August 1975 by James Smith Pierce

    012 Motte August 1975

    James Smith Pierce
    August, 1975

 

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Image is provided for
educational purposes only.
© University of North Dakota.
All rights reserved.
 
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