Apr 6, 2016 robert smithson january 2, 1938 july 20, 1973 was an american artist famous for his use of photography in relation to sculpture and land art. Robert smithson was born in 1938 in passaic, new jersey and died in a plane crash while flying over one of his earthworks to examine it in 1973. Robert smithsonsculpture 1981 edition open library. Smithson made several trips to ross allens reptile farm in florida. Robert smithson, 35, a sculptor, is dead the new york times. Take, for example, robert smithsons spiral jetty 1970 located at rozel point, great salt lake, utah. This dramatic and highly influential work forms a coil 1,500 feet long and 15 feet wide and stretches out counterclockwise into the lakes translucent red water. In addition to a new introduction by jack flam, the collected writings includes previously unpublished essays by smithson and gathers. Smithsons film spiral jetty was completed later that year, and the third component in this ensemble, an essay also titled the spiral jetty was published in 1972. Sculpture by robert hobbs and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Smithson was born in passaic, new jersey and early on lived mostly in rutherford. It appeared he was headed for a career as a naturalist. Jul 24, 1973 robert smithson, a sculptor, was killed in the crash of a light plane on friday, along with the pilot and a photog rapher, as they were inspect ing one of his earth works under construction.
Sculpture has been called art an updating of the macho that among the abstract one that is not easily conformable to dards of beauty, radiance. For two years, he was enrolled at the art students league in new york and, for a briefer period, at the brooklyn museum school. In 1970 robert smithson 19381973, one of the most innovative and provocative artists of the twentieth century, created the landmark earthwork spiral jetty at rozel point on utahs great salt lake. Dominated by collages on paper, the works smithson dubbed. Sculpture from the earth, but never limited by it the. While still attending high school in clifton, new jersey, during the mid 1950s, he attended art classes on the side in new york city. Mar 24, 2019 in 1999, the artist nancy holt, smithsons wife, and the estate of robert smithson, decided to donate spiral jetty to the dia art foundation. The book is a documentation of the exhibition which features three films as well as 50. Robert smithson january 2, 1938 july 20, 1973 was an american artist known for sculpture. Holland, robert smithson had a past that began well before his 1965 minimalist sculptures. Published on the occasion of the exhibition robert smithson in texas at the dallas museum of art, this book contains essays and illustrations that examine smithson s engagement. Although robert smithson died at the age of only 35, his short career has inspired more young artists than most among the generation that emerged in the 1960s.
Artists from matthew buckingham to diana thater address the rich legacy of robert smithson s films, sculptures and spiral jetty. Untangling robert smithsons spiral jetty art agenda. Robert smithson was a seminal american artist and writer known for pioneering the land art movement. Robert smithson american sculptor and writer britannica. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. The collected writings documents of twentiethcentury art 2rev ed by flam, jack isbn. Robert smithson sculpture download robert smithson sculpture ebook pdf or read online books in pdf, epub, and mobi format. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Robert smithson s earthwork spiral jetty 1970 is located at rozel point peninsula on the northeastern shore of great salt lake. Holt and smithson developed innovative ways of exploring our relationship with the planet, expanding the limits of artistic practice. When robert smithson died at 35, in a plane crash in 1973, overseeing one. In december 1968, the american artist robert smiths.
Holtsmithson foundation exists to continue the creative and investigative spirit of the artists nancy holt 19382014 and robert smithson 193873. With the launch of this website, the mca has created a platform for archiving and publishing images and stories from our 50year history. Download pdf robert smithson sculpture free online new. Made of black basalt rocks and earth gathered from the site, spiral jetty is a 15footwide coil that stretches more than 1,500 feet into the lake. To the uninitiated his art appears at worst to be about. Anyone interested in smithson, the artist, filmaker, philosopher and writer will want to read this. Not too long after that it was submerged as the great salt lake rose throughout the 80s. This innovative study of two of the most important artists of the twentieth century links the art. See all 5 formats and editions hide other formats and editions.
Sculpture author hobbs, robert, with contributions by lawrence alloway, john coplans, and lucy r. Pop, robert smithsons playful drawings inspired by new york detritus james cohans inaugural show in his new space on the lower east side focuses on works on paper and sculpture dating. Such was the case, though, with conrad bakkers robert smithson library and book club, installed as part of the utah museum of fine arts annual salt series. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Robert smithson, american sculptor and writer associated with the land art movement. The new monuments and the end of man princeton university press. A formidable writer and critic as well as an artist, his interests ranged from catholicism to mineralogy to science fiction. In addition to a new introduction by jack flam, the collected writings includes previously unpublished essays by. His largescale sculptures, called earthworks, engaged directly with nature and were created by moving and constructing with vast amounts of soil and rocks. Why robert smithson and the art of 60s remain so vividly present in contemporary art. In 1959, he met nancy holt, a sculptor, and they were married in 1963. Though many exhibition pages currently lack descriptions or illustrations, were committed to a program of ongoing research that will fill in the blanks over time. Using over six thousand tons of black basalt rocks and earth from the site, smithson formed a coil 1,500 feet long and 15 feet wide that.
Robert smithson art often dealt with the purpose art might have in the landscape. Robert smithson january 2, 1938 july 20, 1973 was an american artist who used photography in relation to sculpture and land art. Robert smithson january 2, 1938 july 20, 1973 was an american artist known for sculpture and land art who often used drawing and photography in relation to the spatial arts. Learn about the artist and find an indepth biography, exhibitions, original artworks, the latest news, and sold auction prices. Land art, variously known as earth art, environmental art, and earthworks, is an art movement that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, largely associated with great britain and the united states, but which included examples from many countries. I bound out of bed, gianfranco gorgonis seminal photogaph of robert smithson s iconic earth work on repeat in my head as i shower and pack for the daylong adventure that will take me to. Click download or read online button to robert smithson sculpture book pdf for free now. Pdf robert smithson download full pdf book download. His father, irving, worked for autolite, a company that dealt in car parts, but later went into real estate, and then into banking. In 1999, the estate of robert smithson donated the sculpture to dia art foundation, new york. Books art historian hikmet sidney loe chronicles the many influences on robert smithson s masterwork in the great. Robert carleton hobbs is an art historian and curator specializing in twentiethcentury art. In an excerpt from his new book, the art of return, art.
Swirling into the spiral jetty by robert smithson widewalls. Robert smithson 193873, the internationally renowned pioneer of the earthworks movement who is best known for his earthwork spiral jetty 1970, is considered one of the most iconoclastic artists of the 20th century. Robert smithson was born in passaic, new jersey, in 1938. Smithson documented the construction of the sculpture in a 32minute color film also titled spiral jetty built on the northeastern shore of the great salt lake near rozel point in utah entirely of mud, salt crystals, and basalt rocks, spiral. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Smithson s father put together a small basement museum for all of robert s shells and fossils. Allan kaprow, robert smithson, and the limits to art by. Robert smithson sculpture by robert carleton hobbs, 1981, cornell university press edition, in english. Robert smithsons spiral jetty is the poster child for the antiformalist earth art movement of the 1960s and 1970s.
Artists on robert smithson distributed art publishers. Smithson built a masterpiece from local materials, one that spirals counterclockwise into the lake and appears or is submerged with fluctuations in the. In addition to a new introduction by jack flam, the collected writings includes previously unpublished essays by smithson. Quotations by robert smithson, american artist, born january 2, 1938. If you have information about past mca exhibitions to share, wed be delighted to hear. With its beautiful, lakeside setting and the vastness of its scale, its little wonder the book s editors chose this as the cover image. Robert smithson s earthwork, spiral jetty 1970, an icon of the land art movement of the 1960s and 1970s, is located on the northern shores of utahs great salt lake. Earthwork in the great salt lake, utah, as seen from the 1,600 pound ikonos satellite, 423 miles up in space.
In 1948, the smithson family moved to clifton, new jersey. Take, for example, robert smithson s spiral jetty 1970 located at. Robert smithson expressed a profound interest in the arts from an early age. Since 1991 he has held the rhoda thalhimer endowed chair of american art in the school of arts, virginia commonwealth university, a highly ranked art department. Allan kaprow, robert smithson, and the limits to art. Robert smithson sculpture robert robert smithson hobbs on. His largescale sculptures, called earthworks, engaged directly with nature and were created by moving and constructing with vast amounts of soil and rocks smithson preferred to work with ruined or exhausted sites in nature. His innovations in both the practice and theory of art have been mentioned with great respect by many artists and art historians. His work has been internationally exhibited in galleries and museums and is held in public collections including the museum of modern art, new york, the smithsonian american art museum, solomon r. Sculpture from the earth, but never limited by it the new york.
Robert smithsons earthwork sculpture the spiral jetty was done in 1970. Enjoy the best robert smithson quotes at brainyquote. When robert smithson died at 35, in a plane crash in 1973, overseeing one of his earthworks, he gave the art world its own buddy holly. These essays situate this renowned series of works alongside smithsons critical writings, proposals, drawings, sources, and models. Oct 01, 2015 artists visiting the state of utah typically make a pilgrimage to robert smithsons spiral jetty 1970, but they rarely meet the artist headon, on his own terms. Robert smithson 19381973, one of the most important artists of his generation, produced sculpture, earthworks, drawings, and paintings in addition to the writings collected here.
However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. The books and articles below constitute a bibliography of the sources. Working with unconventional materials including soil, rocks, disused industrial sites, and language, the artist explored the metaphorical qualities inherent in geological. Curators discuss robert smithsons works made from earth, either altering the earth at. As a trend land art expanded boundaries of art by the materials used and the siting of the works. Robert smithsonsculpture by hobbs, robert carleton, 1946publication date 1981 topics. Working with unconventional materials including soil, rocks, disused industrial sites, and language, the artist explored the metaphorical qualities inherent in geological formations and the process of entropy. Robert smithson by robert smithson, jack flam paperback. In 1970 he created spiral jetty, a snaillike coil of heaped stones that extends far out into the great salt lake in. Explaining smithsons spiral jetty art agenda phaidon. Robert carleton hobbs serves as a record of smithson s known threedimensional works. Since the 1979 publication of the writings of robert smithson, robert smithsons. See more ideas about sculpture, ways of seeing and robert smithson.
Robert smithson aaep 1600 the ohio state university. Read robert smithson sculpture online, read in mobile or kindle. This independent organization obliged to take care of the work and maintains the lease of utah sovereign lands in the great salt lake. See more ideas about robert smithson, land art and art. The perfect book for someone who is interested in space, time, systems. Spiral jetty is an earthwork sculpture constructed in april 1970 that is considered to be the most important work of american sculptor robert smithson.
The contributors to this comprehensive publication consider smithsons sculpture in relation to its eponymous companionsa text work and a film. Using over six thousand tons of black basalt rocks and earth from the site, smithson formed a coil 1,500 feet long and 15 feet wide that winds counterclockwise off the shore into the water. This shopping feature will continue to load items when the enter key is pressed. Robert slifkin looks at such iconic works as the industrially evocative welded. I bound out of bed, gianfranco gorgonis seminal photogaph of robert smithsons iconic earth work on repeat in my head as i shower and pack for the daylong adventure that will take me to a remote area of utah. Robert smithson s spiral jetty is the poster child for the antiformalist earth art movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Spiral jetty this comprehensive publication considers smithson s sculpture spiral jetty in relation to its eponymous companionsa text work and. Smithson preferred to work with ruined or exhausted sites. Smithson documented the construction of the sculpture in a 32minute color film also titled spiral jetty. Jack flam is distinguished professor of art history at brooklyn college and the graduate center of the city university of new york. In rutherford, william carlos williams was smithsons pediatrician.
A formidable writer and critic as well as an artist, his interests ranged from catholicism to. This innovative study of two of the most important artists of the twentieth century links the art practices of allan kaprow and robert smithson in their attempts to test the limits of artboth what it is and where it is. Robert smithson is undoubtedly one of the most important artists in the second half of the 20th century. Find all the books, read about the author, and more.
Artist books, exhibition catalogues, invitations, announcements, posters, and related printed ephemera. A pivotal figure in the evolution of postwar sculpture, robert smithson created iconic land art that radically changed prevailing ideas about the making and viewing of art. The monumental earthwork spiral jetty 1970 was created by artist robert smithson and is located off rozel point in the north arm of great salt lake. Robert smithson is one of the most enigmatic artists of the late 20th century. Robert smithson retrospective works 19551973, 8778750202, very scarce art book. Wikipedia entry introduction robert smithson january 2, 1938 july 20, 1973 was an american artist known for sculpture and land art who often used drawing and photography in relation to the spatial arts. Lippard formatbinding hardcover book condition used fine in fine dust jacket edition first edition binding hardcover isbn 10 08014249 isbn 97808014247 publisher cornell university press place of publication ithaca, ny. Robert smithson in texas distributed art publishers.
Pdf robert smithson sculpture download ebook for free. Download robert smithson sculpture ebook free in pdf and epub format. A coil of earth, salt, and stone that smithson built into great salt lake, utah, the piece is a tribute to the movements scale and engineering as well as to its visionary union of art and nature. Spiral jetty, robert smithsons land art masterwork the. Sculpture by robert carleton hobbs and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Now with its reappearance, this book is especially timely, historical and memorable. She is a founding editor of october and the author of passages in modern sculpture, the originality of the avantgarde and other myths, the optical unconscious, bachelors, perpetual inventory, under blue cup all published by the mit press, and other books. If research into robert smithson is the aim, this book is a necessity. Since the 1979 publication of the writings of robert smithson, robert smithson s significance as a spokesman for a generation of artists has been widely acknowledged and the importance of his thinking to contemporary artists and art critics continues to grow.