Here, via Metafilter, are some of this year's, um, crop of crop circles. The full-sized images are pretty amazing.
There's something quite wonderful about crop circles. I love that the makers remain largely anonymous, and that people still refuse to believe that they're man-made. I love the idea of blokes in pubs heading out and doing this stuff. I love it that the art world would never ever deign to comment on them. I love it that no one's in it for the money. I can only hope that we don't start getting books by the practioners revealing the secrets of their trade (yes I know we've had the odd TV program and article in a Sunday supplement, but as far as I'm aware nothing much beyond that).
I posted a while back on surrealism, and how to the English that sort of thing comes naturally: we don't need to philosophise about it, and write manifestoes. Just so with crop circles. They're quintessentially English. They embody what much art nowadays can only dream of: they're creative, inspiring, mysterious, ephemeral, and exist totally beyond commercial interests. It's possible - and I hesitate here, but it must nevertheless be said - that the makers never even went to Art School.
Update: looking at this site (with its amusing new age verbiage - "Karen has a background in psychology and counselling and has for many years brought a gentle, empathetic and introspective touch to researching the crop circles.... Her work seamlessly fuses sacred art, spirituality, psychology and philosophy") I wouldn't guarantee that all the crop circles linked to above are in fact from this year.
The "Temporary Temples" people may be new age dingbats, but their HTML image viewer kicks ass: Each new page puts the thumbnail for the next one under your mouse pointer. I hate those things when you have to keep hunting for the "next" link. Theirs not only does the Right Thing on that, but it combines it with a scrolling thing with all the thumbnails. Good design. I approve. I approve so much, I won't even say anything about "gentle, empathetic and introspective" new agers.
Posted by: P. Froward | August 05, 2006 at 10:57 PM