What environmental art can teach us about wind farms: exploring the boundaries of cultural aesthetics in Scottish landscapes

Abstract

Installations in the Scottish landscape garner a range of public reactions, from being much-loved to much-maligned. Two categories of landscape installation illustrating this range of reactions are landscape art installations and wind farms, both of which at times have been both widely positively received and largely criticised and protested. Viewing installations such as these through the consideration of the cultural landscape, incorporating social, economic and political history into the natural landscape, offers new ways of understanding their impact on viewers. Using Casey’s boundary/border discourse and Berleant’s aesthetic engagement theory, this article considers the impact of wind farms and large-scale landscape art installations on the landscape, and critically considers Scottish Natural Heritage wind farm siting guidance in light of the theoretical frames presented. The article concludes that current policy and practices surrounding wind farms render them exclusionary and homogenous, and that openness and distinctiveness are essential for improving public perceptions.

Keywords:

• Cultural aesthetics
• cultural landscape
• aesthetic engagement
• landscape boundary
• wind farms
• Scottish Natural Heritage
• distinctiveness

Acknowledgements

The author gratefully acknowledges the feedback from three anonymous reviewers during the submission process, as well as the comments and feedback on an earlier version of this work by Dr David Borthwick and Dr Stuart Hanscomb.