What is unusual about Spiral Jetty by Robert Smithson?

The site of Spiral Jetty was chosen by the artist for the lake’s unusual ecological and geological properties. The reddish coloration of the water, caused by the high presence of microbes, initially attracted Smithson to the north arm of the lake.

What does the Spiral Jetty represent?

Like much Earth art, Spiral Jetty is a tribute to the daring and imagination of the artist who goes from concept to actual product—the fact that it is done at all is often what constitutes its significance.

How did Smithson create the Spiral Jetty?

Using natural materials from the site, Smithson designed Spiral Jetty to extend into the lake several inches above the waterline. However, the earthwork is affected by seasonal fluctuations in the lake level, which can alternately submerge the work or leave it completely exposed and covered in salt crystals.

Why is Smithson important?

Born in Passaic in New Jersey, Robert Smithson (January 2, 1938 – July 20, 1973) was an artist who expanded what art could be and where it could be found. For over fifty years his work, writings, and ideas have influenced artists and thinkers, building the ground from which contemporary art has grown.

How did Smithson create the Spiral Jetty and what do you think the Spiral Jetty symbolizes?

Critics argue that the spiral shape of the Spiral Jetty was influenced by the physical structure of the salt crystals that slowly coated the rocks used in construction within the lake, which creates a spiral-like shape. Spiral Jetty is also a symbol of the artist’s fascination with the topography of the place.

Why was Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty different from traditional landscapes and how does its form make this difference clear?

Why was Robert Smithson ‘s “Spiral Jetty” different from traditional landscapes? It went away for 30 years and then came back, but different because of the salt in the water that covered up the artwork.

What is entropy Robert Smithson?

Entropy is a term from the realm of physics that Smithson appropriated and enriched through associations, turning it into a fluid artistic concept that would inform his aesthetics of postindustrial sites and his general conception of creative processes.

What material is Smithson best known for using?

Summary of Robert Smithson In 1970, he produced the Earthwork, or Land art, for which he is best known, Spiral Jetty, a remarkable coil of rock composed in the colored waters of the shore of the Great Salt Lake in Utah.

What materials can be found all around the Spiral Jetty?

What inspired Robert Smithson?

(American, 1938–1973) Robert Smithson was a seminal American artist and writer known for pioneering the Land Art movement. His monumental earthen sculptures such as Spiral Jetty (1970), were inspired by the Minimalist work of his contemporaries, as well as geology, science fiction, and the concept of entropy.

When was the Spiral Jetty built?

Robert Smithson designed and directed the construction of his iconic work the Spiral Jetty in April 1970. The Jetty is a site-specific work, meant to interact with changing conditions of the surrounding water, land, and atmosphere.

What was your experience with Smithson’s Spiral Jetty?

Up until that moment, the essay, the film, and the Gorgoni photograph were the entirety of my experience with Smithson’s Spiral Jetty, which is probably true for all but a small population who’ve sought out the physical experience of the “gesture.” An object whose identity is so deeply intertwined with its documentation is fraught with complexit…

What are the challenges faced by the Spiral Jetty?

Shortly after the Spiral Jetty was constructed in 1970, it has faced different challenges. People have wanted to destroy the project and put the land on which it lies into a different use. It was also submerged by the increasing levels of water of the lake after completion.

What happened to the Spiral Jetty in Lake Tahoe?

It was again submerged by the rising water levels shortly after that until 2002. When Spiral Jetty re-emerged from the waters, it has remained visible since, but due to its proximity to the lake, it is sometimes submerged depending on the water levels.