While the idea of intentionally making Earth Art is really interesting and much more thought or statement can be put into it, I find the idea of unintentional Earth Art even more so. On such a large scale, the people altering the land in these ways for their livelihoods probably have no idea what their land looks like from above. I wonder if Mackenzie took these photos to any of these farmers. Not knowing that they're creating art and then creating something this beautiful in a habitual way out of necessity makes these photos really beautiful and insightful.Here you see the preoccupation of the farmer with time and cycles and how it fits into his daily life. This reminds me of a quote from Lippard's text: "The origins of time and of counting seem in turn to lie somewhere in between the cycles of the Earth and the moon (with the human body as its medium) and the lines of journey, a life, towards change" (77). The human body here is the farmer, and his dependence on the cycles and the subsequent necessity of routine in planting, growing, and harvesting his crop can clearly be seen from such great heights. I wonder what the farmer's perception of their land is... do these farmers think about what it looks like from above? Or do they just think of the soil, the time, the energy, and the closeness to the Earth that they feel in such a deep understanding of its intricate processes?
More of Mackenzie's work can be seen at: http://www.maxwellmackenzie.com/markings.php
