Preservation collaboration. Smithson, Robert. Entropy and the New Monuments. American Scientist Comment Policy Stay on topic. Be respectful. We reserve the right to remove comments. Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
All Topics More in Art. The site where there is now a lake has a long history of ups and downs spanning , years. When the lake began to shrink, it did so in stages, which you can witness as layers along the foothills of the Wasatch Mountains and, at a lower elevation, layers along the Promontory Mountains in Box Elder County.
He was also drawn to the color of the water in the north arm of the lake. Separated from the bigger, southern arm by a causeway, the north arm is saltier — 10 times saltier than the ocean these days — which means not much can live there except brine shrimp, brine flies and some feisty microbes that love salt the way someone might be happy to survive on bacon. The Spiral Jetty invites close study of the mineralized colors at play. At first, Smithson wanted more of a j-shaped jetty, with a small island in the center, but when he stood on the hill and looked down on the sculpture he was disappointed.
Smithson had a disdain for the picturesque, the pastoral, and the commercial, questioning even the very purpose of art as something to be viewed. On several occasions he brought rocks into galleries, put them in nicely crafted bins, and called it a Non-Site. Is it the metal container, the rocks, the location it came from? What would Smithson think now of his Spiral Jetty, and of the world it resides in? A pandemic fits nicely with his acceptance of things falling apart, but he might not have predicted how popular the jetty would become as an outlet for social distancing.
Would Smithson, the lover of imperfection, have approved of a clean-up of the area that removed rusted rigs and trailers, and smoothed out the dirt road? Would he have approved of the successful efforts in to prevent oil drilling nearby? Would he want anyone to shore up the jetty as weather and time take their toll? What would Smithson have thought about the families who arrive these days and set up lawn chairs between the jetty and the edge of the receding lake? The morning I visited the jetty in mid-May, I found a heart carved into the exposed, dry lakebed.
In the face of entropy, we all like to make our mark. We like to think about 4ever. A place where he could walk happily in a circle, counterclockwise against the direction of time, even when he knew that time only marches forward.
Everything out here is microscopic and cosmic at the same time. I agree that it is a good idea to tell someone where you are going if you go alone into a remote area like this. Despite the challenges of the trip, I still think that Spiral Jetty is a fascinating place. I have a dream to get there in the next 12 months. Art makes life.
Thankyou all for this information, my wife and I are from Australia and hope to visit the Spiral around the 20th of November via flying to salt lake city after visiting our son in Toronto.
The aim is to hire a car for a day or two and drive out there. Any advice would be appreciated. Welcome to Utah soon!
I would recommend renting a car with 4-wheel-drive. The weather may be excellent at that time of November, but I would be hesitant to go if it rains or snows. I suspect that there will be little traffic on that remote road at that time of year. Just went out there 3 days ago. The roads were in good condition, snow packed in places but not a problem if you watched your speed. No problem for my Corolla at all. I have been wanting to go out there for years and finally took the effort to go.
Had a good visit at Golden Spike Natl. Monument also. Thank you so much for this article. I also appreciate the insights found in the comments. Now I know to plan for the right time of year and bring the right vehicle. The Troublemakers film is definitely worth seeing if you have been to Spiral Jetty.
That will also be on my Utah itinerary someday. Thank you, Marc! My husband is disabled and would not be able to walk to the jetty.
Should we rent a vehicle? Still worth the trip? You can easily get a good view of the jetty from the parking lot. However, it is a long dirt road in the middle of nowhere, so if you absolutely cannot afford to be stranded, it may be smart to rent a reliable 4WD vehicle or go with a larger group in multiple vehicles.
Good luck! Great tips. Thanks for the post. Here is an updated link for the water level if you want to check before you go. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Skip to content Skip to primary sidebar.
Hi there! I am the founder of Tips for Family Trips. I am a married mom of two children, ages 14 and 17, living near Salt Lake City, Utah. It was above water from , then submerged again from And through all these periods till now, the site has become an increasingly popular destination for both locals and out-of-towners. Tassie knows people who visit the site on the same date every year. Mountain time. On Oct. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.
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