I wanted to write a narrative that explored the artist’s life truthfully. There have been many films about artists made, but few about artists who aren’t household names. I grew tired of seeing a passionate person’s life reduced to 2 hours of a quick rise to fame followed by the pains of celebrity.  We see enough celebrity. I wanted the audience to discover a new artist and see things from a new perspective, one that I felt a much larger percentage of people could relate to.

Earthwork is not a biopic. It is one man’s true story of discovery told through a single episode of his life:  a collection of moments. It is a story that chooses to explore just one of Stan works in an attempt to understand why he has created so many over the years... and why he needs to keep doing so. A singlework of art can convey far more truth than a smorgasbord of ideas, people, locations and time periods all trying to force meaning, so it was important to me that the big idea came from a small story. Everyone has some kind of vision they want out of their head and materialized in front of them, but everyday life tends to be a pretty solid gatekeeper. Of those few who are able to truly follow their dream, an even smaller percentage are able to survive long enough to turn that passion into an honest living. This to me is the real, true struggle of the artist . . . survival.

The further I dug into Stan's art, the closer I came to discovering my own. I felt like there was more to the story than even Stan was aware of. Badgering him over the course of many months, researching and learning everything I possibly could about his art form, I gained enough of his trust to take him back to memories from his 9 month adventure of growing an environmental, rural artwork in the middle of a metropolis. As he reflected upon memories that he had pushed to the dark places of his mind, I was able to expand the significance of mere moments and encourage him to look at his “Countryside” earthwork as more than just a previous canvas from his portfolio. It was important to me that my first feature capture a story that needed to be told via the cinema.  Stan’s art is temporary, eventually returning to the earth after it has lived its life. Earthwork is an attempt to share the beauty and truth that Stan creates with an audience through a medium that can last forever, affecting an endless number of people... something people can experience together... something they can share.

Now Stan’s art, as well as my own, has been brought to light... projecting visions that once haunted us, transformed into a realized dream by the magic of inspiration, focus and, most importantly . . . people.

Chris Ordal, writer/producer/director