In works of both cultures, then, there is an overlapping between the way in which land is conceptualized, on the one hand, and philosophy, literature, religion, and politics on the other. In all cases, given a particular time, given a particular place, the way in which a people dialogue with their land will always reflect their humanistic concern and spirituality. In her book Place and Identity, cultural critic Doreen Massey concludes that we should discard our traditional concept of place possessing a special identity, nostalgically turning back to it again and again to look at it or reaffirm it. Instead, we should get involved as participants, exploring the communal relationships that have developed or are developing in one particular place. As modern art developed, land has gradually come to be treated as a living biological mechanism.
Land is thereby no longer merely limited to the philosophical nature of a landscape outlook.
It is no longer branded with the stamp of historical civilization. Land should be released from self-limitations imposed by cultural traditions. In artistic aesthetics, the glory and disgrace of the land are coexistent. The refinement and failings of humankind are intimately related to the land. In the 1990s, identity and belongingness have become major factors in artistic and cultural thinking, while regionalism and nationalism have suddenly begun to flourish.