Robert+smithson

Robert Smithson is an artist who studied at the Arts Students League of New York. He is famous for his earthwork named Spiral Jetty. His inspiration for earthworks came from him observing and being intrigued by dump trucks excavating tons of earth from the ground. On a side note, he was born January 2, 1938 and died July 2nd 1973 while he was surveying the lands of Texas for another earthwork. It was an aircraft related death. Smithson is also known for his writings regarding landscapes that had been degraded by man. He stated that they have been left unattended because it did not suite man. Only until the land was needed for urbanization did it interest man, and the sight of this repulsed Smithson. He stated that the best places for earthworks would be where reckless urbanization, disruption from industry, and where natural devastation would occur because he felt it was proper to work where there were deformities. For example, the location of his work Spiral Jetty is at Great Salt Lake in Utah, which at the time was drought stricken and resulted in lower water levels. Because the location was afflicted by natural devastation, it served as the ideal place for Smithson to do his work; however, the water levels rose again and the Jetty had remained submerged for 30 years until water levels dropped again in 2004. Sadly, as of June 2011 the Jetty has been submerged again and will remain so until drought strikes. ^Spiral Jetty--