Channel: Victoria and Albert Museum

Category: Education

Tags: die wiesebeautybookgermanylook insidephotoshorticulturepagessusanne de vriesland35mmthe meadowphotobooknaturesee insidedie wiese: eschenau 1986–2013relaxnature photosherman de vriesartist bookeschenaucultivationlookingtimephotographyopen

Description: In 1986 herman de vries and his wife susanne (who both use lowercase letters for their names to avoid hierarchy) began a long-term project called Die Wiese (The Meadow). They bought a small plot from an area of commercially farmed land near their home in Eschenau, Germany, and spent the next 33 years working to return it to its natural state. Using de vries's expertise as a trained horticulturalist, they began by planting a hedge as a border around the plot, shielding it from the surrounding culture of pesticides and fertilisers, and collected seeds from nearby embankments to plant there. Over time this encouraged birds, insects and mammals to make the plot their habitat. De vries's photobook 'Die Wiese: Eschenau 1986–2013' documents the changes in the landscape from 1986 until the book's publication in 2013. Find out more about Artists' books and the environment at the V&A: vam.ac.uk/articles/artists-books-and-the-environment