Spiral Jetty

Robert Smithson was instrumental in stimulating interest in earthworks in modern times. Off the coast of the Great Salt Lake in Utah, Smithson, in 1970, artificially extended the landmass in a spiral that jettisoned out into the body of water. The coiled mass was 15 feet in width and 1500 feet in length and consisted of earth, rocks, and other natural materials.

As the man-made land encountered natural elements such as wind and water, erosion occurred emphasizing the ephemeral impact of man’s footprint on this earth.