Wheatfield-A Confrontation

These two acres of wheat, known as Wheatfield-A Confrontation, 1982, were planted and harvested in Battery Park landfill in New York by Agnes Denes, an environmental artist. Denes believes her "decision to plant a wheatfield in Manhattan, instead of designing just another public sculpture, grew out of a long-standing concern and need to call attention to our misplaced priorities and deteriorating human values." (Oakes, 1995, p.168)

There are stark contradiction and strong contrast between the wheat and the surrounding environment in color, material, height etc. While the golden wheat was softly swinging in the wind, showing the beauty of life, the cold iron skyscrapers stood statically without emotion. The coexistence made the differences between countryside and city obvious.

Long before financial exchange in New York Stock Exchange or World Trade Center, Being self-sufficient is the original life style for human, which could be partially found in countryside now. Dislike in city as the battle for modern life, living in country doesn’t need to face the pressure and has a gentler pace and a more peaceful attitude. That’s why city people always have an illusion that country life is somehow superior to town life and look forward to it.

Agnes with two assistants and some volunteers represented the circles of growth and regeneration, “After harvesting, the hay was fed to the horses stabled by the New York City Police department and some of the grain traveled around the world in the exhibition” (Matilsky, 1992). But if she invited real farmer to join the project, behind the French window, what would appear in an office lady’s mind with the scene of cultivation? What’s more, if a farmer peddled the hay and grain in the Wall Street, what kind of the communication would be between he and a suited manager? It would be more interesting to see people’s act and thoughts in a real ‘City Pasture’. The contradiction and contrast in this act would be illustrated as the key points of my project through imagining these unusual feelings of city people.

PS: As Stuart said, actually the two acres were so small that were no competitive with Manhattan. It’s the photo that makes it exaggerated.