What do you think?
Rate this book
Radical Landscapes: Art, Identity and Activism
The first of its kind, this invigorating exhibition book investigates the British landscape as a site of artistic inspiration, action and a heartland for ideas of freedom, mysticism, experimentation and rebellion. Contributions from campaigners, naturalists, environmentalists and social historians explore art in the age of the climate crisis.
Throughout the twentieth-century artists have responded to the landscape in emotional, physical and political ways: from exploring themes of belonging to the land by interrogating the relationship between landscape history and identity, the enclosure or militarisation of land, to artists creating works that harness or dramatise natural earth processes. As the custodian of the national collection of British art, Tate’s climate emergency declaration points to a wider concern and care for the environment that underpins the themes in the Radical Landscapes exhibition.
Structured on three broad thematic sections; ‘Trespass’, ‘Landscape and Identity’, and ‘Climate Breakdown’, it features around 100 works from 1900 to now, and presents a radical and outward-facing image of Britain and its diverse peoples and landscapes to the world. Focussing on activism and how we value, care for, use and draw meaning from the natural landscape, the catalogue showcases an array of viewpoints reflecting the diverse perspectives in modern Britain, examining the artists’ relationship to the landscape, and social history as a stimulus for the imagination as much as action and protest. These conversations are a rare opportunity to reframe Tate’s holdings of landscape art as well as explore how we might commune with nature and collectively work towards a more sustainable and equitable future.
Featured artists include Henry Moore, Peter Kennard, Tacita Dean, Ingrid Pollard, Jeremy Deller, Rose English, Chris Killip, Derek Jarman, Yuri Patterson, Anthea Hamilton and many more.
Throughout the twentieth-century artists have responded to the landscape in emotional, physical and political ways: from exploring themes of belonging to the land by interrogating the relationship between landscape history and identity, the enclosure or militarisation of land, to artists creating works that harness or dramatise natural earth processes. As the custodian of the national collection of British art, Tate’s climate emergency declaration points to a wider concern and care for the environment that underpins the themes in the Radical Landscapes exhibition.
Structured on three broad thematic sections; ‘Trespass’, ‘Landscape and Identity’, and ‘Climate Breakdown’, it features around 100 works from 1900 to now, and presents a radical and outward-facing image of Britain and its diverse peoples and landscapes to the world. Focussing on activism and how we value, care for, use and draw meaning from the natural landscape, the catalogue showcases an array of viewpoints reflecting the diverse perspectives in modern Britain, examining the artists’ relationship to the landscape, and social history as a stimulus for the imagination as much as action and protest. These conversations are a rare opportunity to reframe Tate’s holdings of landscape art as well as explore how we might commune with nature and collectively work towards a more sustainable and equitable future.
Featured artists include Henry Moore, Peter Kennard, Tacita Dean, Ingrid Pollard, Jeremy Deller, Rose English, Chris Killip, Derek Jarman, Yuri Patterson, Anthea Hamilton and many more.
- GenresArt
288 pages, Paperback
Published May 5, 2022
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Read
May 8, 2022Stimulating collection of short essays to go along with the equally stimulating exhibition at Tate Liverpool. My favourites tended to be the ones under the label ‘Landscape and Identity’, particularly the one that discussed Ithell Colquhoun and the interview with a Morris dancing side which offers some interesting thoughts about recontextualising folk traditions and rituals.
As with any collection like this that touches upon a lot of different topics, the essays tend to be short invitations rather than extensive analyses. On that front, it was a worthwhile read because it introduced me to a whole bunch of new artists to explore.
As with any collection like this that touches upon a lot of different topics, the essays tend to be short invitations rather than extensive analyses. On that front, it was a worthwhile read because it introduced me to a whole bunch of new artists to explore.
July 23, 2022
A great addition to the exhibition, touches on a wide range of topics providing a good stepping stone for further reading
April 18, 2023
Really interesting read. Different essays reflecting on the landscape, colonialism, activism etc.
September 14, 2023
Very well designed book with an elaborate exploration of the subject and a vast research behind
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews