Wheat symbolizes life for humanity. In the background is the Manhattan skyline with the former twin towers of the World Trade Center in the center. The Urbanization of the island of Manhattan is symbolic of a war that humanity has waged against nature in the name of "civilization." Civilization has come to be synonymous with things that are not found in nature. But this not only represents the war that humanity has waged against the environment, it also reminds the viewer of a tragedy. And while the tragedy was not an environmental one, the image of the World Trade Center instills the emotion of tragedy which the art is attempting to convey has been the result of man's war on the environment.
The final print of the three print set displays the image of a man on a machine, harvesting the wheat and perfectly conveys the sense of the man-made origin of the problem....
Man, and his war against nature, waged with better and better machines, buildings, and technology, has devastated the natural world and continues to do so. The image of man destroying nature is a poignant one that sums up the message of the entire module.
All in all, the module exemplifies the war between humankind, and their attempt to "civilize" the world, and nature, which must suffer the consequences of that war. Mankind, with each successive generation, has built up a civilization that has squeezed out nature, and the nurturing aspect of nature has slowly been destroyed. In effect, this artwork represents mankind's slow and ultimate suicide.
References
"Expo 1: New York." (1982). [Module]. MoMA PS1: New York. Retrieved from http://www.momaps1.org/expo1/image/wheatfield-a-confrontation-battery-park-landfill-downtown-manhattan-2/
