Cornfield: An Artstory is a 76-foot-diameter immersive installation where you stand at the center of a meditation on Consciousness, told through the ancient symbol of Maize. Thirty years in development, this multimedia environment combines monumental paintings, sculpture, cinema, sound, and text, to explore the yogic truth Thou Art That — you are what you seek. That truth is the essence of human experience, the sweetness in the corn.
Maize becomes a living metaphor for Universal Consciousness: planted in darkness, rising toward light, offering itself as sustenance for all. This is art where the viewer completes the work simply by being present — a harvest of beauty, contemplation, and self-recognition that bridges Eastern wisdom with our agrarian roots.
Concept rendering of the Cornfield environment (76' diameter)
Cornfield: An Artstory is an artistic ode to the Life we all share. At heart, Cornfield is about You and I, a creative environment where images of identity abound, where Art is the story, and Truth is at play. It is sacred ground for all to enjoy, a place to engage the power of art and myth while experiencing the wonder and mystery of Consciousness -
A Universal Marriage of Myth, Media, and Maize

Chorale Cornfield Ground 76' Diameter Room 1-2-3 (4-5)
Cornfield forms a circle of art, populated with paintings, sculptures, text and cinema, all under a canopy of light. In the center lives the Dais, Home to You the Viewer. The Cornfield Ground summons the spirit of the Maize Goddess as expressed in the indigenous culture of the Americas, offering Maize as sustenance and Divine food.
This art lives in the spirit of sustainability and compassion for all peoples, animals, and creatures of our world. Cornfield: An Artstory affirms the Conscious keeping of our Environment . . . allied with the Water Protectors, the Seed Mothers and Fathers, and all those working to protect Mother Earth and the sanctity of food.
God's Ear oil on linen 24"H x 50"W
There are two distinct halves of Cornfield. They represent the inner and outer life of the human experience, where the source of Love, Creativity, and Consciousness is revealed.
The upper half is home to the seven panel mural Chorale, sitting atop a wooden architecture displaying monitors within each base. The seven panels are themed on the Harvest, the cycles of nature, and the twin actions of effort and grace. The lower half features the five panel mural Room 1-2-3 (4-5), along with the companion painting Burning Sheaves, illustrating the five-fold function of Consciousness - (1) Creation (2) Sustenance (3) Dissolution (4) Concealment (5) Grace.
Together they form the organic whole that is Cornfield: An Artstory, offered in service to the fire of inspiration, the peace of meditation, and the joy of aesthetic experience. Immerse yourself . . .
Below are links to the comprehensive visual and written elements of Cornfield - the paintings, sculpture, structure, text, and animation.
There are six sections: 1 Chorale 2 Room 1-2-3 (4-5) 3 Icons 4 Sculpture 5 Cinema 6 Cornfield Storyboard
Cornfield: An Artstory in the round - Sun Dance
Cornfield Compost - returning to ground

Artwork and design © James Nichols 1976-2025 All rights reserved