James Nisbet Bücher

In the aftermath of World War II, artists and designers initiated the land art movement, creating outdoor artworks that are intrinsically tied to specific locations. Notable examples include Walter De Maria's Lightning Field in New Mexico, Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty at the Great Salt Lake, and Nancy Holt's Sun Tunnels in Utah. These installations, originally depicted in their pristine state, have since been altered by environmental factors such as weather, agriculture, and climate change. In Second Site, James Nisbet explores how to account for the effects of time and environmental change on site-specific artworks, including Richard Serra's Shift, now surrounded by urban development, and Ant Farm's Cadillac Ranch. He introduces the concept of "second site," emphasizing that manmade artworks and their environments share distinct temporalities while co-existing within a dynamic ecological context. A single photograph or experience can only capture a moment in the ongoing evolution of these sites. Nisbet calls for innovative approaches to evaluation, conservation, and representation, aiming to deepen our understanding of how human cultural production interacts with an ecologically unstable world.