S4 Shrimp Farm

Question 1

Where were Helen and Newton Harrison born

Answer 1

Helen Harrison was born in Queens, New York, and Newton Harrison was born in Brooklyn, New York

Question 2

What did Helen Harrison study before pursuing her teaching career in the 1940s

Answer 2

English and education

Question 3

Where did Newton Harrison study art

Answer 3

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Question 4

what year were Helen and Newton Harrison married

Answer 4

1953

Question 5

Where did the Harrisons live from 1957-60

Answer 5

lived abroad in Florence, Italy

Question 6

When did Helen and Newton Harrison begin their collaborative art practice

Answer 6

Late 1960s

Question 7

which period of their marriage did Newton Harrison work as a solo artist

Answer 7

The first 2 decades of their marriage

Question 8

what area were Helen and Newton Harrison pioneers

Answer 8

pioneers in establishing the activist engagement and informed interdisciplinarity of contemporary eco art

Question 9

how long did the Harrisons collaborative art practice last

Answer 9

throughout the remainder of their careers

Question 10

Made “Shrimp Farm, Survival Piece #2”

Answer 10

Helen & Newton Harrison

Question 11

Made “Making Earth”

Answer 11

Helen & Newton Harrison

Question 12

an early example of the Harrisons’ environmentally impactful work

Answer 12

Making Earth

Question 13

When was “Making Earth” first performed

Answer 13

1970

Question 14

How many times did the Harrisons recreate “Making Earth”

Answer 14

Many times

Question 15

What did “Making Earth” consist of

Answer 15

The production of rich soil

Question 16

Why did the Harrisons feel the need to create the work “Making Earth”

Answer 16

They created it after understanding that topsoil was endangered worldwide

Question 17

What materials did the Harrisons use to create the rich soil in “Making Earth”

Answer 17

sand, clay, sewage sludge, leaf material, and chicken, cow, and horse manure

Question 18

Describe the process the Harrisons followed to create the soil in “Making Earth”

Answer 18

gathered the materials, mixed them, watered the mixture, and repeated the process over a 4-month period until the soil had a rich, forest-floor smell and could be tasted

Question 19

What did the Harrisons consider as indicators of the soil’s richness after completing the process in “Making Earth”

Answer 19

richness of the soil was indicated by its rich, forest-floor smell and its ability to be tasted

Question 20

Made the series “Survival Pieces”

Answer 20

Helen & Newton Harrison

Question 21

How did the Harrisons transition from private projects to engaging large audiences with their art

Answer 21

introduced their practice to larger audiences with a series of works titled the “Survival Pieces”

Question 22

Series produced for museums between 1970 and 1972

Answer 22

“Survival Pieces”

Question 23

the main concept behind the Harrisons’ “Survival Pieces”

Answer 23

a living ecosystem for a predetermined period of time

Question 24

Where was “Shrimp Farm, Survival Piece #2” exhibited

Answer 24

“Art and Technology” exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), from May 10 to August 29, 1971

Question 25

What was the context for the "Art and Technology" exhibition

Answer 25

To pair artists with the research and development departments of corporations in order to create collaborative work

Question 26

How was the "Art and Technology" program received

Answer 26

The program was notoriously expensive and generally unsuccessful

Question 27

how did the Harrisons’ contribution differ from the rest of the "Art and Technology" exhibition

Answer 27

the Harrisons' contribution was created without corporate expertise and became notable for its success

Question 28

Why is "Shrimp Farm, Survival Piece #2" considered a significant point in art history, according to scholars

Answer 28

It is considered a point of transition from Land art to more ecologically conscientious practices

Question 29

What did "Shrimp Farm, Survival Piece #2" consist of

Answer 29

4 ponds of salt water and brine shrimp

Question 30

Where was "Shrimp Farm, Survival Piece #2" located

Answer 30

outdoors on LACMA’s campus

Question 31

What was the alternate title of Shrimp Farm, Survival Piece #2

Answer 31

Notations of the Ecosystem of the Western Salt Works with the Inclusion of Brine Shrimp

Question 32

How did the Harrisons’ approach to ecological art differ from earlier Earthworks of the Land art movement

Answer 32

rather than using earth as material and expending large amounts of energy in altering the landscape with industrial materials

Question 33

"Shrimp Farm" was made as a direct response to

Answer 33

Robert Smithson's "Spiral Jetty"

Question 34

Made "Spiral Jetty"

Answer 34

Robert Smithson

Question 35

How was the Harrisons' "Shrimp Farm" conceived as a response to Robert Smithson’s "Spiral Jetty"

Answer 35

Newton Harrison proposing the idea of introducing brine shrimp at the Spiral Jetty site to feed on the algae that caused the water to turn red

Question 36

What natural phenomenon at the "Spiral Jetty" inspired Harrison’s suggestion involving brine shrimp

Answer 36

The reddish hue of the water, caused by the carotene produced by algae in the high-salinity water of the Great Salt Lake

Question 37

What balance did Newton Harrison propose to create at "Spiral Jetty" with the introduction of brine shrimp

Answer 37

the brine shrimp would feed on the algae, potentially reducing the red hue, and could also be harvested at the site

Question 38

Higher salt levels in the water leads to

Answer 38

greater red hue produced by the algae

Question 39

motivated the Harrisons to create their own shrimp farm in LA

Answer 39

They tried to create a living ecosystem for brine shrimp since they could not convert the "Spiral Jetty" into a shrimp farm

Question 40

Describe the design elements of the "Shrimp Farm" work they created for the “Art and Technology” exhibition at LACMA

Answer 40

The work consisted of four ponds with varying levels of salt, resulting in subtle color shifts between the ponds

Question 41

What was an outcome of the Shrimp Farm project at the end of the exhibition

Answer 41

an actual harvest of shrimp from the ponds

Question 42

Organisms that the Harrisons tried to create living ecosystems for in their “Survival” series

Answer 42

fish, trees, potatoes, salad greens, and worms

Question 43

How did the Harrisons’ “Survival” works emphasize the interrelations among organisms and climate conditions

Answer 43

By creating highly specific and localized living conditions

Question 44

Why did the Harrisons believe that the concept of a truly closed ecosystem was a fallacy

Answer 44

their "Survival" pieces were created for short-term durations (two or three months), which did not account for the complexities and interactions inherent in ecosystems

Question 45

Made "The Lagoon Cycle"

Answer 45

Helen & Newton Harrison

Question 46

What significant change in the Harrisons’ approach is noted with "The Lagoon Cycle"

Answer 46

The change involved shifting from short-term “Survival” pieces to a more ambitious exploration of ecosystems across the entire Pacific Rim

Question 47

What crab species was used in "The Lagoon Cycle"

Answer 47

Crap species native to Sri Lanka

Question 48

How long did "The Lagoon Cycle" project occupy the Harrisons

Answer 48

1972-1984

Question 49

What kind of environment did "The Lagoon Cycle" simulate

Answer 49

It simulated an indoor estuary

Question 50

How did "The Lagoon Cycle" transform from its original concept

Answer 50

It evolved into a larger exploration of ecosystems across the Pacific Rim

Question 51

WHat was the original plan for "The Lagoon Cycle"

Answer 51

To cultivate the Scylla serrata, or mud crab, in a closed laboratory environment

Question 52

Scylla serrata is

Answer 52

mud crab

Question 53

What were the similar goals of "The Lagoon Cycle" compared to previous “Survival” works

Answer 53

To produce an edible food source in controlled, replicable conditions and to study the behavior of the resulting ecosystem

Question 54

How does the ecosystem in "The Lagoon Cycle" differ from previous ones regarding duration

Answer 54

It would not be limited to a predetermined period of time

Question 55

Where were the mud crab tanks set up for "The Lagoon Cycle"

Answer 55

In the Harrisons’ Southern California studio

Question 56

What were implemented in the mud crab tanks for "The Lagoon Cycle"

Answer 56

Timed lights, limited temperature fluctuation, and controlled salinity

Question 57

What conditions were mimicked in the aquatic environment for "The Lagoon Cycle"

Answer 57

Conditions of a tropical, estuarial lagoon

Question 58

Why was the duration of "The Lagoon Cycle" critical

Answer 58

It coincided with the monsoon season in Sri Lanka

Question 59

(The Lagoon Cycle) What unexpected change did the Harrisons notice in the crabs

Answer 59

A change in the crabs’ behavior

Question 60

How did the Harrisons attempt to simulate monsoon conditions

Answer 60

By decreasing salinity and increasing available food

Question 61

(The Lagoon Cycle) What behavior was triggered among the crabs as a result of the changes

Answer 61

Mating behavior, the first known instance for this species in an artificial environment

Question 62

(The Lagoon Cycle) What did the Harrisons reconsider as a result of their discovery

Answer 62

The type of enclosed, artificial ecosystems they had simulated to date

Question 63

What new title did the Harrisons give to their work after moving out of the laboratory

Answer 63

The Lagoon Cycle

Question 64

How many cycles are included in "The Lagoon Cycle"

Answer 64

7

Question 65

What new methods did the Harrisons introduce for presenting their work

Answer 65

Narrative voices, performance, and printed matter

Question 66

How is "The Lagoon Cycle" exhibited

Answer 66

as a series of 7 large panels incorporating text, maps, and cut photo-collage

Question 67

(The Lagoon Cycle) Who are the two characters in the dialogue on the panels

Answer 67

A Lagoonmaker and a Witness

Question 68

(The Lagoon Cycle) What do the first three panels examine

Answer 68

The move from indoor tanks to outdoor environments

Question 69

(The Lagoon Cycle) What does the fourth panel describe

Answer 69

Moving the crabs to ponds cultivated in California’s Salton Sea

Question 70

(The Lagoon Cycle) What proposal is introduced and reflected upon in the fifth and sixth panels

Answer 70

To regulate salinity, herbicide, and pesticide levels in the Salton Sea by connecting it to the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean

Question 71

(The Lagoon Cycle) What does the seventh panel meditate upon

Answer 71

The Pacific Ring of Fire, connecting Sri Lanka to the American West Coast

Question 72

2 global issue the Harrisons addressed in their work

Answer 72

Glacier depletion & international deforestation

Question 73

What specific area in the Netherlands did the Harrisons focus on

Answer 73

The central ring of agricultural land