"Not A Cornfield" was a 2005 art project that transformed a industrial

brownfield Brownfield is previously-developed land that has been abandoned or underused, and which may carry pollution, or a risk of pollution, from industrial use. The specific definition of brownfield land varies and is decided by policy makers and l ...

(today part of

Los Angeles State Historic Park Los Angeles State Historic Park, also known as LA Historic Park and the Cornfield, is a California State Park located near the Chinatown and Elysian Park neighborhoods of Los Angeles. The former rail yard and brownfield consists of a long open ...

in the historic center of

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

) into a cornfield for one agricultural cycle. The project took place north of

Chinatown Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...

. Lauren Bon created this work with funds from the

Annenberg Foundation The Annenberg Foundation is a foundation that provides funding and support to non-profit organizations. Overview The Annenberg Foundation was established by Walter H. Annenberg in 1989 with $1.2 billion, one-third of the assets from the sale o ...

and considered the piece to be a

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

. The installation cost $3 million and took place at the proposed site of Los Angeles State Historic Park, which had been referred to as "The Cornfield", because of the crops growing there prior to its industrial development."L.A. THEN AND NOW; Pasadena's Gold Line Will Travel a History-Laden Route" (13 July 2008) ''Los Angeles Times'' Fifteen hundred truck loads of

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...

were transported to the site and one million seeds were planted. Some people complained that the project delayed the construction of the public park at that site, that the project was approved too quickly, and that it was a waste of money.32 Acre Living Sculpture, Not a Cornfield, Rises in Los Angeles
There was a small edible garden in the cornfield, and the site was used for film screenings and

drum circle A drum circle is an informal gathering of percussionists and dancers who meet in public for the purpose of playing drums and dancing to the music. Often seen at parks and beaches. Percussionists usually gather in a circle and dancers are often see ...

s. Group and school tours were available. The corn was harvested in November and December 2005, allowed to dry and put on display in the nearby empty Capital Milling Co. building for six months. It was then used for the production of

biodegradable Biodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. It is generally assumed to be a natural process, which differentiates it from composting. Composting is a human-driven process in which biodegrada ...

containers. The project left behind fertile soil.{{citation needed, date=May 2021 "Not A Cornfield" was located at 1201 North Spring Street, Los Angeles, California, 90012.

References

External links

Official siteCalifornia State Parks' future use of the site
by Daniel Hernandez
32 Acre Living Sculpture, Not a Cornfield, Rises in Los Angeles
2005 sculptures Land art Installation art works

See also

References

External links