Land Art explores the relationship between art and the environment. Most often a

response to a particular place, it can take the form of an installation, or photographs,

film and other documentation. The artist may introduce materials to the environment

or make an intervention using what is already present. Artworks might be designed

for viewing at a distance, or chancing upon close up; they may be temporary and

ephemeral or solid and semi-permanent.

Developed by Pennine Prospects, Fields of Vision is creating 12 large-scale Land Art

installations in the stunning landscape of the South Pennines. These interpretations

of Pennine Yorkshire are sometimes bold, sometimes subtle, but always reflecting the

aesthetics of this landscape and its social, cultural and working life.

Fields of VisionART AND DESIGN, ENGLISH

with cross curricular opportunities for GEOGRAPHY, MEDIA STUDIES, PSHE and SCIENCE

Key Stages: Foundation to KS5

depARTures

One Man and his Dog. Stanbury Village. Designed by Simon Manfield;

installed by the Worth Valley Young Farmers Club.Photo: John Sargent.

Geoff Wood, Field of Vision's Artistic Director writes: ‘The triumph of the project is not

only the beautiful images that are emerging, but also the collaborative effort that is

making it possible. Young farmers, scientists, public sector partners, small and large

businesses are all straining their sinews to make this project happen, because they see

the relevance of what artists have to say about Pennine Yorkshire.

‘Making artworks that are measured not just in metres but hundreds of metres and

working with a canvass that undulates in three dimensions required us all to develop

new skills, find new tools and explore unfamiliar materials and processes.’

You can find out more about each of the Fields of Vision installations here. Three

installations are presented in this depARTures resource, illustrating some of the ways

in which teachers (and others working with children and young people) can engage

with their creative processes.

On page 16 you will find further ideas and guidance for schools keen to engage with

Land Art.

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Stanbury Reservoir. Photo: John Sargent

Using the depARTures learning resource:Yorkshire Festival 2014 fills the 100 days leading up to The Grand Départ of the Tour de France with

world-class music, dance, theatre, film, art, sculpture – and much more. This resource provides a range of

starting, or 'depARTure points', for teachers (and others working with children and young people) to plan

learning activities that capture its excitement and innovation.

DepARTures resources are designed as light touch – sparking ideas that can be developed or incorporated

into schemes of work in schools and used in a wide range of out-of-school learning contexts.

A set of creative challenges is presented, differentiated for key stages, and each with an indication of the

subject areas covered (although this is only a guideline and can be easily adapted).

Links to the National Curriculum 2014 and examination syllabuses are suggested.

Extension tasks demonstrate how the work could extend into different subjects, wider school or community

settings or longer projects.

Arts Award and depARTuresArts Award inspires young people (5 to 25) to develop their arts and leadership talents. Having completed

Arts Award adviser training, teachers can support students to achieve the award at five levels – four

accredited qualifications and an introductory award.

DepARTures resources enable schools to develop their Arts Award offer with arts organisations and back in

the classroom; see how the activities can be mapped to the Arts Award framework here.

Artsmark and depARTuresArtsmark is Arts Council England’s flagship programme to enable schools to evaluate, strengthen and

celebrate their arts and cultural provision.

By planning, facilitating and evaluating depARTures activities with your students, your school could take a

significant step towards making an application for Artsmark.

Working with museums, galleries and arts organisations Venues, organisations and individual artists working with schools will be able to complement depARTures

activities.

Click here for sources of information about what's on offer to schools in Yorkshire and Humber.

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Pecket Well Jo Gorner ART AND DESIGN, SCIENCE, GEOGRAPHY

Challenge Create a trace of a place (and put it back into that space)

This challenge is inspired by the work of Jo Gorner, a printmaker whose work is a response to

landscape distilled to a sparse use of line and form.

‘For me, the creation of a piece of work, or a series of works, starts within a landscape. Being

in this environment will often involve walking, sitting and looking, attempting to distil the

detail and the wider impact of a place. The impact is filtered through my emotional response.

I do not aim to represent a landscape but to engage in a sensory relationship, interpreting

this with a visual language.’

On location, she sketches, takes notes and sometimes photographs. In the studio these are

considered alongside the geology and history of the place, the stories attached to it, the wildlife,

Design for Pecket Well. Jo Gorner. Woodcut 80 x 80 cm

land usage, and weather. By working

through ideas, trying out designs, and

deciding on the medium (usually a wood

cut or etching) the essence of the place and

the experience of being within it emerges.

The printing block or plate is made and

then decisions are taken about colour of

ink, type of paper, and adding collage, until

‘I feel the final image is conveying the

original intentions’.

For the Fields of Vision artwork at Pecket

Well, Jo Gorner explored the natural

features of the site – the slopes, different

types of grass and a spring. She considered

how the surface appearance is shaped, by

the rocks and a water source that lies beneath, as well as by man-made features such as walls and

paths, and by the sheep that graze the field.

In undertaking this challenge, students can respond to:

• a natural landscape (you could combine a visit to some of the Fields of Vision

installations with the opportunity for students to start their own work)

• a cityscape

• spaces within your school and its grounds.

Students can analyse the structure of the chosen site, capturing not only what they see but how

they feel in that space. Does it trigger memories of other places and times? What can they find out

about its history? What are the effects of changes in the light and weather? Students can use large

sheets of paper and mark-making tools to work directly in the place as well as capturing the site

with sketchbooks and cameras.

Back in school, students can develop a design or series of designs by:

• photocopying drawings and gathered information to create collages or mood boards

• using acetate or tracing paper over the top of photos or drawings to pick out

significant lines and shapes

• choosing one drawing or photograph and using a viewfinder to select a key area on

which to focus perhaps incorporating words from their observational notes.

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Pages from Jo Gorner’s Pecket Well sketchbook

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Students could produce their designs as:

• monoprints, by inking up glass sheets and then wiping areas clean

• prints made by impressing into polystyrene tiles, or building up by gluing string and/or

cardboard shapes to a stiff piece of card

• collagraphs that include found materials from the space that inspired the design

• directly onto paper, with inks, paints, mixed media or using a paint/design software

• ceramic pieces, by pressing into, or building up from a clay slab

• textile pieces, incorporating dyed fabrics, appliqué, hand and machine stitch

• a cardboard relief, using different thicknesses of cardboard that could be painted a single

colour.

Some key stage differentiations and curriculum linksFoundation Stage: Explore an aspect of the rural landscape with learners, for example dry stone walls and

the fields they enclose, by getting out into the countryside or looking at films and photographs. Then work

with learners to build dry stone walls using cardboard boxes, crushed for a more natural look, and painting

them in stone colours. Alternatively use gravel and stones to create Pennine style walls and field systems

in sand trays or outdoor provision.

KS1/2 also Science: Dandelion, a common plant that will be accessible to all schools also offers excellent

opportunities for abstracting from nature. Ask learners to look closely at the petals and flower heads,

leaves, stems and seed heads and to make observational drawings. Learners can then pick out the lines

and shapes from these, such as the repeated triangles of the leaves, and develop the abstracted forms in

paint, print, clay or textiles using the techniques described in the main challenge above.

Curriculum links: KS1 NC Art and Design: 'pupils should be taught to use a range of materials creatively

to design and make products' and 'to use drawing, painting and sculpture to develop and share their

ideas, experiences and imagination'. KS1 NC Science: ‘pupils should be taught to observe closely using

simple equipment’. (Year 1) ‘pupils should be taught to identify and describe the basic structure of a

variety of common plants’, (year 2) ‘observe and describe how seeds and bulbs grow into mature plants’.

KS2 NC Art and Design: 'pupils should be taught to create sketchbooks to record their observations and

use them to review and revisit ideas’ and ‘improve their mastery of art and design techniques including

drawing, painting and sculpture in a range of materials (for example pencil, charcoal, paint and clay)'.

Pecket Well. Photo: John Sargent

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KS 3/4: Referencing the work of Jo Gorner and one or more of the artists suggested below, students can

undertake a print project based on abstracting from land or cityscape. Students can choose an area of

school (or another location, if you are able to go out) to which they will respond. Having developed

designs as described in the challenge above, they can test a number of print techniques before choosing

one to explore further. Students may wish to print onto experimental surfaces or make further studies to

adapt a print method. Throughout these stages, students can refer back to the processes and work of the

artists they have researched, to help inform their own creative decision-making. Some students may want

to develop their prints further by adding textures with netting, sawdust, soil, leaves etc. They may also

want to add paint or to scan and then digitally manipulate the images, perhaps adding text. In groups,

students can collate their work and make a photo story or film, which sees the images moving to a chosen

song, and/or student voiceovers. This can then be projected onto the space, either as a secret intervention

to take people by surprise, or as a planned event. By documenting the process of gathering information

and experimenting with print techniques pupils are able to present a clear and coherent journey from initial

ideas to final realised outcomes.

Curriculum links: KS3 NC Art and Design: ‘Pupils should be taught to develop their creativity and ideas,

and increase proficiency in their execution. They should develop a critical understanding of artists,

architects, and designers, expressing reasoned judgments that can inform their own work’, ‘use a range of

techniques to record their observations in sketchbooks, journals and other media as a basis for exploring

their ideas’, ‘increase their proficiency in the handling of different materials’, ‘analyse and evaluate their

own work, and that of others, in order to strengthen the visual impact or applications of their work’. GCSE

(AQA) Art and Design: This project could be the basis of a ‘collection of work, which demonstrates an

ability to sustain work from initial starting points or project briefs to the realisation of intentions and

include evidence of research, the development of ideas and meaningful links with critical/contextual sources’.

Extension tasks: Students can then take their designs back into the spaces that inspired them. For Jo

Gorner, this stage of the process involved thinking about how the design would be seen from the viewing

point a kilometre away; lines and shapes need to be sufficiently large to be visible from a distance. The

field is on protected land, which meant that different grasses could be used, but grass paint and mowing

were not allowed. The piece is designed to have returned the field to its original state after five months.

For students, this step of the process could involve:

• creating a piece of Land Art (see further guidance on page 16)

• projecting designs onto spaces or onto buildings

• overlaying their designs on photographs of the places or buildings that inspired them using

software.

For more information and starting points Students can look at the work of other artists who have abstracted from landscapes and natural forms

including Piet Mondrian, Barbara Hepworth, Howard Hodgkin, Paul Feiler, Peter Lanyon, Agnes Martin,

David Hockney, Gerhardt Richter, Rachel Whiteread and Anish Kapoor.

Blackley, Elland Jane Revitt ART AND DESIGN, PSHE

Challenge Use multiples of materials to respond to a space or place

This challenge is inspired by the Fields of Vision artwork by Jane Revitt at Blackley, Elland.

Jane writes 'As this piece is for a dramatic hilltop site and is associated with the Tour de France, I

was looking for an image suggesting speed and movement. A flock of swiftly moving birds seemed

immediately appropriate. When I investigated the flight patterns of different birds, I became aware

that there was a similarity between the shape made by starling murmurations and the pattern of

movement made by a peloton of cyclists. In fact, I found that they both move in formation to save

energy.

Most of my work is designed for particular sites, whether creating furniture for an ancient oak wood,

a lounge for a public building or artwork for a hospital corridor. Perhaps I'm influenced by my theatre

background, where designs are made for shows with particular themes..’

Watch this video of a murmuration of starlings very close to the site at Blackley.

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Investigating flight patterns in the studio. Photo: Jane Revitt.

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Create multiples

Taking inspiration from the collective swoop of the birds and how breathtaking it can be to see so many in

one space, create a collaborative piece of work that produces the same degree of awe.

On a trip out, or in the school’s grounds, students can explore the movement of birds or insects and how

they group together. They can create sketchbook pages recording their findings and draw with inks and

found materials such as sticks and feathers. Back in school, students can develop their drawings as a 3D

project. Research into flock and swarm behaviour and drawing from secondary sources may be useful at

this stage.

Wire frames could be covered using a thin layer of tissue paper with PVA to create a fragile opaque

covering. The clay and/or wire pieces can be hung with fishing wire in a space that has enough ceiling

height to allow overhead display. One of Jane Revitt’s considerations was the number of starlings that her

artwork would need in order to capture the mass and movement of a murmuration. Students can similarly

consider how many “multiples” they need and how these should be arranged.

Find multiples

Students can select and present multiples of objects in an outdoor space to create a semi-permanent

installation or a temporary piece that is captured with photographs or video.

In a local park, or during a visit to the sea or countryside, natural objects such as sticks, leaves, grasses,

shells and stones can be sorted by size, colour and/or tone and then arranged in patterns. Look at the

work of Yorkshire based artist Sue Lawty, whose own practice includes arrangements of small stones (Lawty

was also the organiser of the now completed participatory World Beach Project). Use the visit or walk to

also record observations through drawing, and experiment with found materials dipped in ink to create

unusual mark-making and drawings.

Working with debris and waste materials can be a way of highlighting environmental issues (and, by

removing the waste, making a small but practical difference). Look at work by Tony Cragg such as Britain

Seen from the North, and Postcard Union Jack, which is in the collection of Leeds City Art Gallery. Students

can collect rubbish from a specific site (with the appropriate health and safety precautions); items can be

pegged into position in the ground to create a temporary installation that is photographed. Alternatively

items could be removed from the site and arranged across floors or fixed to walls for an internal

installation. Have a look at the work of Australian environmental artist John Dahlsen .

Some key stage differentiations and curriculum linksFoundation Stage/KS1: Working with found multiples (see above) and relating to the work of Andy

Goldsworthy and Robert Smithson, look at the use of natural materials such as rocks and sticks, twigs and

leaves to create ephemeral sculptures. A Foundation Stage group might create a simple cairn of rocks or

bivouac of sticks. A combination of flat rocks and sticks could be roughly assembled and fixed together with

twine to make rustic mini-beast hotels.

KS1: learners working with sticks and twigs can explore the intricate overlapping circular nest structures

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created by Goldsworthy. Working with stones they could make “sheep folds” or enclosures with circular or

spiral rock constructions. Constructions do not need to be life sized; a single layer on the ground or two

courses safely made using a dry stone wall construction process can be effective. In addition, students can

spell out their names with found materials. These can be photographed for future use in parental

documents, or as peg labels etc.

Curriculum links: KS1 NC Art and Design: 'pupils should be taught to use a range of materials creatively

to design and make products' and 'to use drawing painting and sculpture to develop and share their ideas,

experiences and imagination'.

KS2: In addition to creating patterns with natural and found materials, learners can make representational

images. Simple outlines and shapes are most effective. Try collecting materials such as stones, shells,

plastic bags, bottle tops etc., in two tones. Encourage students to create designs using areas of each of the

two single tones and sections in which the two tones are combined to create a third. Students can develop

small intimate works or huge pieces designed to be viewed from a distance – from the other side of a

valley or the highest point of the school looking down on the grounds. Students can take up the challenge

of accurately reproducing a drawing on a huge scale. Using grids to scale up is one solution – but not the

only one!

Curriculum links: KS2 NC Art and Design: 'pupils should be taught to improve their mastery of art and

design techniques including drawing, painting and sculpture in a range of materials (for example pencil,

charcoal, paint and clay)'.

Starlings in flight.

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KS3: When creating multiples (see main challenge above) students can reflect on Field by Anthony

Gormley, looking at how his simplified shapes emit a human feel. Students can experiment in clay to

create a simplified bird shape that would be instantly recognisable as a bird yet has little detail. As a

class, they can select the design which best fits this description and all create the multiples, which can

later be used for the display. This will reflect Jane Revitt’s process as she designed the starlings,

considering not only the size and shape that would look most effective en-masse, but practicalities such as

the cost and durability of the material.

In order to develop their 3D skills further, create small tiles of clay which experiment with a variety of

textures, taking ideas from birds wings, pattern formations created by birds in the sky, etc. The whole

process should be documented in sketchbooks reminding students of the importance of making notes to

explain and reflect.

Curriculum links: KS3 NC Art and Design: ‘Pupils should be taught to develop their creativity and ideas,

and increase proficiency in their execution. They should develop a critical understanding of artists,

architects, and designers, expressing reasoned judgments that can inform their own work’, ‘use a range of

techniques to record their observations in sketchbooks, journals and other media as a basis for exploring

their ideas’, ‘increase their proficiency in the handling of different materials’, ‘analyse and evaluate their

own work, and that of others, in order to strengthen the visual impact or applications of their work’.

Above: Work in progress in the studio.

Below left: The site Below right: The artist's projection of the installation

KS4: Work with found multiples (see above) and reference the use by Tony Cragg, Sue Lawty, and

Francoise Dupre of collections of natural and/or recycled objects. Take students on a trip to the beach.

Create site-specific works responding to words such as flock, swoop, swirl, group, dive etc. Students should

work in small groups to find materials that can be arranged to illustrate the word. Digitally record all

works created. Back in class, upload images. Students may want to develop the images further by layering,

manipulating and possibly adding text. Students can then be asked to bring in their own collections of

materials and experiment with different formations of the objects, taking ideas from artists including

Louise Nevelson who created collections in boxes. At this exploratory stage, do not fix the materials

together but record and document in sketchbooks. Students can select one arrangement to develop in

response to the artists. Thinking about colour will be important and it could be that the whole

arrangement is sprayed one colour to give a unity to the piece. Hang, wall mount or display the sculptural

forms and use as inspiration to create a series of drawings and paintings from the work.

This project allows students to go on a journey of experimentation using a wide range of materials and

calling upon several artists who explore a similar theme in different ways. By recording their ideas and

observations, pupils are able to work through a process of trial and error, reflection and design, towards a

personal response.

Curriculum links: GCSE (AQA) Art and Design: This project could be the basis of a ‘collection of work,

which demonstrates an ability to sustain work from initial starting points or project briefs to the

realisation of intentions and include evidence of research, the development of ideas and meaningful links

with critical/contextual sources’.

Extension activity: A further aspect of Swoop is its location on reclaimed land, and the attention it draws

to the decline in the starling population. Students could research an environmental issue and use

collections of natural and man-made objects to make a response. They could convey additional

information by attaching labels or QR codes to the objects.

Involving parents and the local community: Ask parents and community members to come into school to

create multiples, giving you a huge amount of material to work with. Invite participants back to view the

displayed work, perhaps with careful lighting and music to create a sensory experience.

Alternatively, transport the created multiples to a site within the community (once permission has been

gained). On site, students could lead or support community workshops to create further objects. Another

option is for community participants to be the multiples – taking up positions or following a simple

choreographed movement. Television experiments with people and “body” art such as those on Art Attack

and Smart provide good starting points. The introduction of costumes, perhaps simple hats or capes in one

or two colours, will make this more effective.

Ask students to promote the event by making posters, blogs, tweeting etc. Capture with film, time lapse

photography and/or video and share via the school website or internal information display system or

other event such as open evening, parents’ evening or a school fair.

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Blubberhouses Robert Montgomery ENGLISH, ART AND DESIGN, MEDIA STUDIES

Challenge Create a Land Art poem, inspired by your local landscape

In this challenge, young people are encouraged to engage with a location – whether that’s a lush

green landscape, cityscape or the school grounds – to create a text-based artwork. Drawing

inspiration from the work of Robert Montgomery, and the Fields of Vision artists, young people can

create an installation piece that fuses landscape with literature, walls with words and place with

poem. The landscape could also be used as the inspiration for reading, looking at writers who have

used nature, place and landscape heavily in their work. These might include Emily Bronte, John

Steinbeck, Ted Hughes, Maya Angelou, Grace Nichols, Imtiaz Dharkar, Jackie Kay and Nissim

Ezekiel.

Robert Montgomery has a distinctive post-situationist style. His work speaks directly to the reader,

forcing a public audience to engage with his challenging words. You can draw inspiration from his

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Robert Montgomery, "The People You Love". 2010. oak, birch, copper, 12volt LEDs, and solar panels.

Installed promenade of the De La Warr Pavillion. collection Manja Gideon, Geneva, and collection Ahu Serter, Istanbul.

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use of location with text – public billboards, bus stops, buildings – all used as canvases to

communicate his views. For his piece at Blubberhouses, he refined his ideas down to one phrase.

This will appear gradually on the hillside, as the grass is darkened by fertiliser applied in the shapes

of its vast letters. What is the poem? Hopefully you can visit Blubberhouses and find out for yourself!

Fields of Vision uses the landscape of the South Pennines as its canvas. The learning activities here

are designed to take place “on location” – using your local landscape as inspiration for writing,

reading, art and performance activities. This could be the South Pennines where you can engage

with the Fields of Vision installations, or your own personal landscape, in whatever sense.

Some key stage differentiations and curriculum linksKS1: Learners can go on a walk or visit to explore their local landscape, or use the school’s outside

environment. While on location, ask them to write their own poem to capture their response. This could be

in the form of a haiku, acrostic or mesostic poem using descriptive words that sum up the landscape.

As a starting point, students could draw round their hands and write one line on each digit for the five

senses: what can they see, smell, hear, touch, and taste? Or they could write a poem starting with the line

“this place is…” and repeat that structure, for example “this place is peaceful / this place is buzzing / this

place is home”. Students could label the different parts of the place they are in and then think of

alliterative or onomatopoeic words to go with them, for example “glistening grass” or “silent sky”. Students

could be photographed with their poems in fun locations in and around that landscape. As an extra

challenge: how big can you make your poem? The students could write/decide on one short poem as a

class, and write this poem on huge paper, perhaps decorating lining paper. Alternatively, with enough

people, you can create human letter forms to spell a words. These could be filmed/photographed from the

other side of the valley – creating an exciting installation piece and drawing attention from passers-by.

Curriculum Links: KS1 NC English Reading: (year 1) ‘appreciate rhymes and poems’, (year 2) ‘pupils

should be taught to discuss their favourite words and phrases. Writing: (from year 2) ‘writing poems’.

KS2: Students could research other artists who have used text as a feature in their work, such as Bob and

Roberta Smith and Mark Titchner and use one of their font styles as inspiration for their own piece of text.

They could experiment with different text styles for effect, such as comic book style lettering, looking at

Roy Lichtenstein-style pop art text, street art/graffiti lettering and stencil font. Students could complete

research in the classroom, and then venture out into their local environment to find inspiration for the text.

Students can be photographed in creative locations in and around the landscape with their artworks.

Curriculum Links: KS2 NC English: ‘writing poems’. KS2 NC Art and Design: ‘pupils should be taught to

use a range of materials creatively to design products’.

KS3: Students in English and Art could take inspiration from the local landscape, to create a written

response to a chosen place – be that within the school environment or on location. Leeds Young Authors’

We Are Poets is a performance poetry piece, which is a personal response to place and landscape.

Students could collaboratively explore visual responses to verbal stimulus, for instance taking single words

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from the poems and recording through drawing and mark-making what image/texture or marks come to

mind. Alternatively, they could use cameras to record images in the location in response to words also

inspired by this location. The students can experiment with different ways of displaying the word art in the

chosen location. Would a large poster be more effective, or should the word be graffitied into the space?

Could the words be projected or animated using computer software?

Curriculum links: KS3 NC Art and Design: ‘to use a range of techniques and media, including painting, to

increase their proficiency in the handling of different materials’. KS3 NC English: Writing ‘stories, scripts,

poetry and other imaginative writing’.

KS4 also Media Studies: Students could explore the theme of nature in poetry. Using the work of Ted

Hughes (who lived in the South Pennines) for example, students could take one of his poems such as

“Hawk Roosting”, “The Thought Fox” or “Wind”, and explore the effect of performing this poem in a

natural environment. To extend, or perhaps as a piece of Media work, students could create short films –

performing poetry on location in the South Pennines, or their local natural environment, surrounded by

nature. Alternatively, students could explore the nature of the South Pennines or their local environment,

and write their own nature-themed poem. As an extension this could be a cross-curricular activity between

English and Art, and the poems could be converted into Land Art (see page 16 for guidance).

Curriculum Links: GCSE English Literature: Literary Heritage poetry. GCSE English Language: producing

creative texts. GCSE Media Studies: use as a piece of coursework. GCSE (AQA) Art and Design: this project

could be the basis of a ‘collection of work, which demonstrates an ability to sustain work from initial

starting points or project briefs to the realisation of intentions and include evidence of research, the

development of ideas and meaningful links with critical/contextual sources’.

KS5: Students could look at Yorkshire authors and poets for inspiration for their own piece of creative

writing, or to enhance their study of literature. For example, students studying Wuthering Heights as an A

Level text could make the link between the Moors in the novel and their local landscape to conduct some

outdoor research. ‘It was a close, sultry day; devoid of sunshine, but with a sky too dappled and hazy to

threaten rain’ – Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte. A connection can be made here with another Fields of Vision

installation, Razwan Ul-Huq’s piece Al-Asr (Time) in the Worth Valley. The Brontes were one source of

inspiration for this piece, which takes the form of Arabic Calligraphy. Students could research Razwan Ul-

Haq’s work and explore using words and styles from different languages and cultures.

Curriculum Links: A Level Creative Writing unit 1 and unit 2. AQA A Level English Language B –

coursework. A Level English Literature. A Level Art and Design.

For more information and starting pointsLook at other artists who have used text in their work, such as David Shrigley, Alec Finlay, Lawrence

Weiner, and street artists Replete and Mohammed Ali.

Note: The content of some work on the websites referenced in this resource might be considered

unsuitable for children.

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Engaging with Land Art in Schools some guidance

Why do it? Exploring and creating Land Art can:

• Introduce creative practices that enthuse students and extend ideas about art.

• Involve a wide range of techniques and materials, and work on very different scales.

• Provide opportunities for cross curricular learning – interconnecting Art and Design with

Science, Geography, PSHE and English.

• Support the National Curriculum and the critical studies, experimentation, recording and

reflection that are required at GCSE and A level.

• Raise the profile of art in your school, and of your school in the community.

‘Art education doesn’t only happen in rooms and around tables. Immersing myself in the practice of the

Field of Vision artists, I can see new opportunities for teaching and learning with alternative spaces around

our school site and in the locality. Working in the natural environment with alternative weather conditions

will allow students to experience firsthand how an artist will work in a real context. Quick and temporary

pieces will highlight the fluidity of art and help to shift the idea that art must be perfect and last forever.’

Jo Millea, Secondary Art Teacher

To demonstrate the breadth and depth of Land Art, introduce students to practice as varied as Robert

Smithson, Jaume Plensa, Agnes Denes and Nils-Udo. Internationally acclaimed practitioners whose work

can be seen in Yorkshire include Andy Goldsworthy, David Nash and James Turrell. Contrast the ephemeral

nature of some of Goldsworthy’s work with the enduring quality of Antony Gormley’s 'Another Place'. Look

at artists whose practice is rooted in environmental issues such as Chris Drury and Atul Bhalla or those

who make work as they undertake journeys on foot, for example Richard Long, Hamish Fulton and Janet

Cardiff.

Choose your siteFor many schools, the most practical options will be to work on the school site or create temporary work in

the vicinity or during trips out. However, you may be able to negotiate the use of a site with a town or

parish council or private landowner. When working beyond the school, always ensure you have permission

and leave sites as you found them (unless it has been agreed that artworks can remain in place and/or

natural material be moved or removed).

Choose your mediumSeveral of the Field of Vision installations use grass as a medium and it is a good option for schools.

Patterns, representational images and text can all be created in grass. Take account of where your design

will be viewed from when deciding on its scale and position. Simple designs are likely to be most effective.

You can:

depARTures capeuk Fields of Vision page 17www.yorkshirefestival.co.uk

• Mow lines or shapes and leave the surrounding grass longer.

• Re-seed areas with different

types of grass. Annual ryegrass

(Lolium Multiflorum) can be

used for light areas and

perennial ryegrass (Lolium

Perenne) for dark areas.

• Use line marking paint. This is

available in several colours

(white, black, red, yellow, blue)

and in aerosol form or for

application with a brush or

line marking wheel.

• Use fertiliser to make certain

areas grow more vigorously and

become greener or darker.

• Cover areas to starve the grass of light so that it turns yellow. By covering different areas for

different lengths of time, some quite sophisticated patterns can be created. These will be visible

for 8-10 days.

• Allow grass to grow vigorously within specified areas for six-eight weeks, without cutting. Once

a week, carefully cut the grassed area around these marked areas. Then cut the very long grass

within the areas; it will be yellowed near the base.

The Young Farmers Club badge, created in grass by

Worth Valley YFC demonstrated the contrast in colour

that can be achieved by sowing different cultivars

Consider how to retain the proportions of your image or text when it's enlarged, taking into account

the angles from which it will be seen. Andrew Wood, Field of Vision's Project Manager, explains how

this was done for the installation of One Man and his Dog in Stanbury Village.

'Because the fields in this area are not uniform, the images of the shepherd and his dog could not be

created by the tried and tested technique of using a grid system. This was partly because we needed

them to look good from the designated viewing point across the valley as well as from the air. We

transferred the image from paper to pasture using

walkie talkies and directing people in the field to

move ribbons and peg them when they were correct.

When the team were happy we had got it right, the

lines were painted next to the ribbons with the paint

they use on football pitches.

The man and his dog need an extra coat every two

weeks. Sheep continue to graze the field oblivious to

the fact that there is a giant shepherd and his

sheepdog there. '

The three challenges in this resource present a wealth of ideas. Here are some more:

• Paint on rocks with water. Film or photograph at intervals as the shapes disappear.

• Use bodies to create human sculptures in different locations; photograph and develop images

further using collage or digital manipulation.

• Work with the natural features or topography of an environment, e.g. using a mounded hill to

represent the top of a head or the upturned roots of a tree as Medusa’s hair.

• Work with sticks and withies. For larger, more weatherproof pieces, wrap these with fabric or

tarpaulin using duct tape and/or cable ties. Secure with tent pegs and guy ropes. This method

can be used to create sculptural forms or giant 3D letters within the landscape, like the famous

'Hollywood' sign.

• Select words or short phrases that can comment upon, or provide powerful juxtaposition with

the locations in which they are placed by:

– Cutting out large letter from a length of wallpaper and photograph the location though

the 'negative'.

– Finding letterforms in the environment e.g. a bent branch may look like an S or a cracked

wall reveal a T. Photograph these to spell out word/s that can be collaged together and

displayed back in the space.

– Creating a sign and photographing it in various locations. Take this a step further with

inspiration from Bob Dylan’s Subterranean Homesick Blues.

Projection Digital projectors are available at a reasonable price and open up many possibilities. Single or multiple

images, time lapse photography, film, animation etc. can be projected back onto the site that inspired the

work. Alternatively, project work on to the walls, ceilings or floors of the school or an exhibition space.

Students can interact with the projection in a live art performance.

page 18 depARTures capeuk Fields of Vision www.yorkshirefestival.co.uk

Design concept for installation at Stanbury Reservoir. Steve Messam.

depARTures capeuk Fields of Vision page 19www.yorkshirefestival.co.uk

Feedback

Share your students' depARTures achievements:

• by Twitter – @Yfest2014, @capeuk, #bepartofit

• on Padlet. Please ensure that you secure the appropriate permission for images and video to be

published on the internet, noting that Padlet is visible to the public and accessible by search engines.

Tell us what you thought of the depARTures learning resource

• complete the questionnaire

CapeUK is an educational trust that promotes creativity in the lives of children and young people –

preparing them to face the future with imagination, innovation and life skills. It is also the Arts Council

Bridge organisation for the Yorkshire and Humber region

This resource was devised by Carolyn Booth, Tim Curtis, Jo Millea and Rosie Marcus in collaboration with

CapeUK.

depARTures was created for Yorkshire Festival 2014 which is supported by

the Arts Council of England, Yorkshire Water, Welcome to Yorkshire and the Yorkshire Local Authorities

depARTures

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