![]() ![]() ![]() Robert Smithson’s dry Spiral Jetty Retis, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Smithson hired Bob Phillips who oversaw the construction, which reportedly lasted six days Smithson started in April 1970. This was prevalent around the northern parts of the lake.įurthermore, Smithson compared our blood as being “analogous” in its composition to the “primordial seas”.Īfter Smithson secured a Special Use Lease for twenty years, it was time to create the Spiral Jetty, which involved utilizing heavy earthmoving equipment, namely a front loader, a tractor, and dump trucks. You might be asking the question, why did Smithson choose the inaccessible, inhospitable Utah location for Spiral Jetty? Part of why he chose the Great Salt Lake was because of the red color of the water due to the algae and bacteria. Nonetheless, “Spiral Jetty” became a decorative yet thought-provoking addition to the natural surrounding landscape, but according to what he described, he allowed the “site” to determine what he was to build. Interestingly, Smithson initially planned to create an island in the center of the spiral and the lake but reportedly opted out of adding these in. Furthermore, Smithson’s spiral has also been likened to the shape of a galaxy and the role the cosmos played in its creation, as well as the structural shape of the salt crystals that were present in the rock formations. The spiral has been a symbol in art and culture for thousands of years connected to ideas around life, infinity, and growth, and notably the more ethereal (or spiritual) qualities of life. Spiral Jetty from atop Rozel Point, in mid-April 2005 Sculpture: Robert Smithson 1938-1973Image:Soren.harward at en.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Smithson’s interest in these deeper scientific concepts was also coupled with his choice of using the spiral symbol. ![]() However, entropy also relates to the idea of decline, and one might say disintegration, of not only natural elements from the earth that Smithson had an interest in, notably mineralogy but also on a societal level in the modernized culture. Though, you might be wondering what entropy is, which is simply defined as “disorder” or “randomness” and it is the second law of thermodynamics. Robert Smithson’s inspiration for Spiral Jetty originated from his interest in the concept of entropy and the natural environment. Smithson also distinguished his art between site and non-site, of which sites were the physical outdoor location and non-sites were indoor spaces like art galleries and museums where the outdoor artwork was displayed. Other factors included the deeper relevance of the natural environment as well as humans and their relationship with the earth. There are several driving factors that started the movement in the 1960s, namely the need to move away from the commercialization of art by existing art galleries, which were viewed as commoditizing artworks. The Land Art movement was prevalent during the 19s, especially in America, although it is a worldwide art form and goes back as far as ancient monoliths and structures. Photograph of Robert Smithson’s earthwork, Spiral Jetty, located at Rozel Point, Utah on the shore of the Great Salt Lake Netherzone, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Virginia Dwan, his art dealer, reportedly introduced him to several Minimalist artists who were also sculptors, for example, Claes Oldenburg, Carl Andre, and Nancy Holt whom he married in 1963.Īs Smithson’s artistic style evolved from two-dimensional to three-dimensional artworks, he increasingly incorporated the earth as his subject matter and became one of the pioneering artists of the Land Art movement. His artistic approach changed however when he became more familiar with Minimalism and started creating sculptures. Robert Smithson was active as an artist during the mid-1900s, initially working within the medium of drawing and painting with an Abstract Expressionist style. ![]() In the contextual analysis below, we look further at why and how Smithson created this gigantic coil, followed by a formal analysis and visual description and how the art elements compose it.Ĭontextual Analysis: A Brief Socio-Historical Overview This is not the average marble sculpture that you will find in a gallery, but a larger-than-life, immersive, land sculpture that you can walk on. The article below will discuss the sculpture Spiral Jetty by Robert Smithson. Rozel Point, Great Salt Lake, Utah, United States Spiral Jetty (1970) by Robert Smithson in Context Artist He was married to Nancy Holt, who was also an installation artist and sculptor. He also produced extensive written works around art and various theories. He also developed as a conceptual artist over time and was influenced by the Minimalist art movement becoming one of the pioneering Land artists. ![]()
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