Hog Pasture: Survival Piece #1

  • Newton and Helen Mayer Harrison
Year2012
Dimensions8 feet x 12 feet x 18 inches
MediumEarth, fluorescent lights, annual hog pasture mix, seed
CreditCourtesy of Harrison Studio

Helen Mayer Harrison and Newton Harrison played a pivotal role in the foundation of the eco art movement. Often referred to simply as “the Harrisons,” Helen and Newton began their practice in the 1970s and created a vast body of work over the five decades they worked together. Hog Pasture: Survival Piece #1 was exhibited in 2012 at the Geffen Museum in Los Angeles and featured a 120-pound pig named Wilma interacting with a pasture that the artists constructed within the gallery. Soil degradation continues to pose an environmental concern and threat to the global food supply, extending the relevance of the Harrisons’ artwork today.

The Wilma the Pig video was co-written by the Harrisons and Nada Miljković, who served as the producer and videographer for the project.