Where Is Smithsons Spiral Jetty?
On the shore of the Great Salt Lake, Robert Smithson’s “Spiral Jetty” is a huge earth and rock sculpture created in 1970. And as it turns out, it’s sitting next to a big stash of oil at Rozel Point. Art and nature lovers are up in arms about the possible damage to the shoreline that could result if bits go into the ground–even though the work site will be five miles from the sculpture. But others believe the natural (or unnatural) evolution of the site is part of Smithson’s artistic vision. After all, the Spiral Jetty was submerged for decades after its creation thanks to a rise in the lake’s water level. Only recently re-revealed, its interaction with the environment is a critical part of the project. Would that make any nearby oil rigs art too?
