Stan Herd is an American crop artist and painter who creates images or "earthworks" on large areas of land. The Kansas-born artist plans and plots his incredible designs and creates them by planting, mowing and plowing the land. He also uses earth-grown materials such as kale, squash, cucumbers, oats and wheat straw to create the organic colors of the artwork, like orange, green, yellow and gold.
To bring art outside the museum’s walls and spread awareness about the ripe artistic culture in Minneapolis, the Minneapolis Institute of Art recently commissioned Stan to create a planted version of Vincent Van Gogh’s famous 1889 "Olive Trees" painting on 1.2 acres of land outside the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The specific location was chosen so flights arriving and departing can look down and enjoy the stunning view.
Stan would continuously refer back to a photo of "Olive Trees" to carefully construct his massive earthworks design. He'd use the earth and its soil, mulch and plants as the basis for the swirling, whimsical recreation. After six months of dedicated, tireless artistry, Stan completed this awe-inspiring "living sculpture."
Watch the video below to see Stan's phenomenal process unfold. This man's talent is simply awesome, and it's something you really must see for yourself. Please SHARE this video with your friends on Facebook, and spread the creativity!
Stan Herd, Of Us and Art: The 100 Videos Project, Episode 30 from Minneapolis Institute of Art on Vimeo.
