Wheatfield — A Confrontation

Wheatfield — A Confrontation
ArtistAgnes Denes
Year1982 (1982)
TypeInstallation
Dimensions (325 ft.  × 300 ft. )
LocationBattery Park City, New York City

Wheatfield — A Confrontation is a 1982 artwork by conceptual artist Agnes Denes.[1][2][3] The work, a 2.2-acre wheatfield, was grown on empty landfill next to the World Trade Center.[4]

Installation

Wheatfield — A Confrontation was commissioned by the Public Art Fund.[5] The work was planted on 1 May 1982.[3] Denes, two assistants, and rotating volunteers maintained the field for four months. Denes and others took actions to protect the crop such as spraying to prevent mildew after the wheat developed a fungus.[3] They harvested the wheat (1000 pounds of grains[6]) on 16 August 1982.[3]

The work has been referred to as Denes's best known.[7]

Message

Wheatfield — A Confrontation was to protest global warming and economic inequality, critiquing the misplaced priorities of modern society. [8] The wheatfield was chosen to represent food, energy, commerce, world trade, and economics.[9]

References

  1. ^ Jacobs, Karrie (14 June 2018). "The Woman Who Harvested a Wheat Field Off Wall Street". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  2. ^ Rina, Amelia (9 March 2021). "Seeds, Sharing, Manifestos". The Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d Denes, Agnes (1 June 1992). "Wheatfield/Tree Mountain". Art Journal. 51 (2): 22–23. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  4. ^ Neill, Michael (1 July 1982). "Wheatfield is tough, like city". Daily News. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  5. ^ Kino, Carol (28 November 2012). "Stretching Her Creativity as Far as Possible". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
  6. ^ Hołda, Renata (20 December 2021). "Prawo do ogrodu. Ogrodnicy w przestrzeni miasta" (PDF). Journal of Urban Ethnology. 19: 151. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  7. ^ Cotter, Holland (7 November 2019). "At 88, Agnes Denes Finally Gets the Retrospective She Deserves". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  8. ^ Schulze, Martin (20 December 2019). "Why did Agnes Denes create this Wheatfield in New York?". Public Delivery. Retrieved 16 Jan 2025.
  9. ^ http://agnesdenesstudio.com/works7.html
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