Julian Francolino on Crop Circles, Terraforming, and Robert Smithson's Amarillo Ramp
In a piece featured in Southwest Contemporary, artist Julian Francolino explores themes of agriculture, art, and the feeling of alienation on the Llano Estacado, which encompasses Eastern New Mexico and West Texas. He shares an anecdote about a friend's confusion between irrigation circles and crop circles, tying it to the area's paranormal lore, including the Roswell Incident. The essay reflects on early settlers likening the Llano's grasslands to the sea and the current reliance on the Ogallala Aquifer for irrigation. Francolino references Jack Williamson's 1942 narrative "Collision Orbit," which first introduced the concept of "terraforming." By 1976, Scientific American observed visual transformations due to irrigation circles, which served as orbital markers for Skylab. Artists Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt were involved in land art, with Smithson's Amarillo Ramp (1973) provoking discussions on completeness. Tragically, Smithson passed away in a plane crash while examining the site.
Key facts
- Julian Francolino wrote an essay for Southwest Contemporary about the Llano Estacado.
- The essay discusses center-pivot irrigation circles mistaken for crop circles.
- The region has paranormal history including the Roswell Incident and Lubbock Lights.
- Jack Williamson coined the term 'terraforming' in his 1942 story 'Collision Orbit'.
- Center-pivot irrigation technology emerged in the mid-1940s.
- By 1976, Scientific American noted the visual changes from irrigation circles.
- Robert Smithson created Amarillo Ramp in 1973 at Lake Tecovas, Texas.
- Smithson died in a plane crash while surveying the site.
- Nancy Holt and other artists completed Amarillo Ramp.
- Smithson wrote in 1966: 'The new art is alien and distant, yet it is reflected in the familiar and common things of this planet.'
Entities
Artists
- Julian Francolino
- Robert Smithson
- Nancy Holt
- Jack Williamson
Institutions
- Southwest Contemporary
- Holt/Smithson Foundation
- Artists Rights Society
Locations
- Clovis
- New Mexico
- Llano Estacado
- Eastern New Mexico
- West Texas
- Roswell
- Lubbock
- Amarillo
- Texas
- Lake Tecovas