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"City" (1972-) - Land Artist Michael Heizer's Massive Earth-Art Project in Garden Valley, Nevada


Tweaked

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A proposed opening year for "City" has been projected for 2020.  Of course it was supposes to be completed in 2005 and 2010.

City is a monumental earth art project by land artist Michael Heizer located in Nevada's Garden Valley.  When completed the project will be approximately 1.5 miles long by .25 mile across, or roughly the same dimensions of the National Mall.  The project is a series of complexes which draw inspiration from ancient ritual cities, such as Chichen Itza. The complexes are constructed from onsite earth, rock and concrete.  

Heizer owns the land and the project has been hidden by its remote location and earthen berms.  However, several photo galleries have been assembled.  Here and here and here. Garden Valley was designated part of the Basin and Range National Monument in 2015.        

Heizer began the project in 1972 and it has been funded primarily by the Dia Art Foundation and Lannan Foundation, with an estimated cost of $25 million.  It will eventually come under the stewardship of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.  

Multiple articles have been written about the project:

NY Times (2005)

LA Times (2015) 

New Yorker Magazine (2016)

Needless to say, Garden Valley, Nevada is now on my list of places to visit.

For those interested the GPS coordinates are: 38°01'48" N, 115°26'10" W

Aerial photo by Paul Saffo

Heizer-City-sml.jpg

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Sometimes it takes me longer to get to certain posts than others, but I read them all. Tweaked, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your having written this - Garden Valley is now on the list of my places to visit as well - I put a map into your post under "Nevada's Garden Valley."

I do wonder, however, if much will be lost seeing it from the ground as opposed to viewing these wondrous aerial photographs - can you imagine flying over and seeing it from a plane, or better yet, a helicopter? I can see a cottage industry popping up in the surrounding areas (run by those who can afford a bird).

Nevertheless, if this clearly OCD artist does *nothing else* during the course of his entire life, he will have done more to benefit humanity than 99.99% of all people. Creating something of lasting worth and beauty for future generations - I can imagine few things more rewarding, even if an artist lives in near-poverty.

I urge people to look at some of the pictures associated with this magnificent work.

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