As if this Earth is a body of research comprised of visual documentation and experimental representation of three seminal works of land art in the Southwestern United States that was supported by a travel fellowship in 2022.

Works of land art such as Michael Heizer’s Double Negative, Nancy Holt’s Sun Tunnels, and Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty challenged traditional disciplinary boundaries by moving sculpture out of the gallery and into the surface of the Earth.

The travel fellowship was conceived and conducted as a road trip through the American Southwest, a mode of travel that not only minimized risk during the pandemic but allowed for a time-honored pilgrimage to such works and the desert landscapes that host them.

Manual as well as drone-operated 3D scanning, in addition to photography and video capture, were the primary forms of documentation.

Project Credits
Art Direction: Cathryn Dwyre & Chris Perry
Research Assistants: Daniella Tero, Hunter Tran, Patrick Belli
Special Thanks: Crystal Griggs