Installed Fall 2021
Michael Harvey’s Rattan River was first installed in Oxford, England, as part of the Land Art movement of the late 1960s. Artists embraced nature as the site and material of their art, advocating for a more responsible stewardship of the natural world. As recreated on the grounds of the Museum, this flowing river of bamboo has even greater relevance as a potent reminder of the essential importance of sustainability, of preserving the eco-health of our earth in the face of the climate crisis. In the artist’s words, “Rattan River was meant to follow the flow of the land with the rippling bamboo, a sustainable material which could later be removed without a trace.”
Harvey’s paintings, books, films and videos have been exhibited in New York museums and galleries, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, Leo Castelli Gallery, Paula Cooper Gallery, Daniel Wolf Gallery, and Metro Pictures. As well, he has exhibited in European museums and international exhibitions including the Pan-Pacific Biennial and Documenta.
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