In the late 1960s, a radical art movement emerged that would forever change the way we perceive and interact with art and nature. This movement, known as Land Art or Earthworks, sought to create large-scale artworks using natural materials and landscapes as the canvas. One of the most iconic and pioneering figures in this movement was the artist Robert Smithson.
Smithson's fascination with nature and industrial landscapes led him to conceive of art that was inseparable from its environment. His vision was to create works that were not confined within the walls of a gallery or museum but were part of the earth itself. This vision materialized spectacularly in 1970 with the creation of "Spiral Jetty."
Located on the northeastern shore of the Great Salt Lake in Utah, "Spiral Jetty" is a 1,500-foot-long and 15-foot-wide coil of basalt rocks, earth, and salt crystals that extends into the water in a counterclockwise spiral. The idea for this monumental sculpture came to Smithson while flying over the lake, where he was struck by the otherworldly landscape of red-hued waters and expansive salt flats.
Constructing "Spiral Jetty" was no small feat. Smithson enlisted the help of local contractors and heavy machinery to move over 6,000 tons of rock and earth. The process took six days, during which the artist and his team battled the elements and the challenging terrain. The result was a stunning, spiraling structure that seems to emerge naturally from the lake's surface, blending seamlessly with its surroundings.
The choice of location was deliberate and symbolic. The Great Salt Lake, with its fluctuating water levels and stark, almost alien landscape, provided the perfect setting for Smithson's exploration of entropy, decay, and the passage of time—central themes in his work. The spiral, an ancient and universal symbol, represented the infinite cycle of nature, growth, and decay.
"Spiral Jetty" is a dynamic piece, its appearance changing with the lake's water levels and the shifting seasons. At times submerged and at others exposed, it engages with the natural processes of erosion and sedimentation, embodying the impermanence and continual transformation of the natural world. Visitors to the site are encouraged to walk along the jetty, experiencing the artwork through movement and immersion in the landscape.
Smithson's groundbreaking work was part of a larger movement that included other visionary artists such as Nancy Holt, Walter De Maria, and Michael Heizer. These artists shared a desire to escape the confines of traditional art spaces and to create works that interacted with and were influenced by the natural environment.
Nancy Holt, who was also Smithson's wife, created "Sun Tunnels" in the Utah desert between 1973 and 1976. This installation consists of four massive concrete tubes arranged in an open X shape. Each tube is aligned with the sunrise and sunset during the summer and winter solstices, and perforated with holes that form star patterns, allowing light to play through the tunnels in magical ways.
Walter De Maria's "The Lightning Field," created in 1977 in New Mexico, consists of 400 stainless steel poles arranged in a grid over a mile long and a kilometer wide. This installation invites viewers to contemplate the vastness of the landscape and the power of natural forces, particularly during thunderstorms when the poles attract lightning, creating a dramatic and awe-inspiring spectacle.
Michael Heizer's "Double Negative," constructed in 1969, involved the removal of 240,000 tons of rock to create two massive trenches cut into the edge of the Mormon Mesa in Nevada. This work highlights the artist's fascination with scale, emptiness, and the juxtaposition of natural and human-made interventions in the landscape.
Land Art continues to inspire and challenge artists and viewers alike, prompting a deeper appreciation for the natural world and our place within it. These monumental works, created with earth, stone, and sky, stand as enduring testaments to the power of human creativity and its profound connection to the environment. They remind us that art is not just something to be viewed but something to be experienced, explored, and lived.
Scarborough jetty. Robert Day