The Human Argument

Book excerpt: The Human Argument is the first publication of Agnes Denes's collected writings. Denes-an early pioneer of both the environmental art movement and Conceptual art-has investigated the physical and social sciences, philosophy, linguistics, psychology, art history, poetry and music and transformed her explorations into unique works of visual art. Her work involves ecological, cultural, and social issues, and are often monumental in scale. She is perhaps best known for Wheatfield - A Confrontation (1982), a two-acre wheat field she planted and harvested in downtown Manhattan, a work that addresses human values and misplaced priorities.