Earth Artist before Earth Day

Spiral Jetty, 1970

Salt Lake, Utah

ROBERT SMITHSON

Earth day is coming up on Thursday so I will continue focusing on some of the greatest  Earth artists I know. I recently wrote shortly about Richard Long and also Andy Goldsworthy.

Robert Smithson was an American artist born in New Jersey (1938) famous for his land art, and because of the relevance it still has, exhibits are still going on. I was lucky enough to see an exhibit about his work at the Whitney Museum (NY) in 2005. It was then I started thinking there is some sort of symbiotic relationship between these three fantastic artists. Most of their Art is temporarily, it is inspired by nature and only nature is used to make the Art. (except Smithson used tractors and dump trucks. If I am not wrong I think Long and Goldsworthy creates all their work by hand, except transportation and help). 

The Spiral Jetty, 1970 is an Earth work created from mud, salt crystals and rocks, you can still find in Utah, even though there has been attempts to do oil drilling close by. Thanks to the Dia Centers preservation efforts, it is still there. 

Broken Circle, 1971 an Earth work by sand, was built shortly therafter in Emmen, Holland. One part of the broken circle is surrounded by water, the other by land and somehow the parts still work beautifully with each other. It was supposed to be a temporary Art Piece but ended up being voted for as a park. Bellow you can see the 1971 image and a more recent from 2009.

Robert Smithson unfortunately died in a plane crass in 1973 while photographing a site for a new prosject in Texas.

If you want to learn more about Robert Smithson, look into his exciting sculptures with mirrors.

Have a great Earth day!