Spiral Jetty

Environmental Art Re-Emerges After 30 Years

by Robert Smith

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Melissa Cobern

Smithson's "Spiral Jetty"

Melissa Cobern

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Talk of the Nation, January 13, 2004 · In 1970, New York artist Robert Smithson left the confines of a traditional art gallery and headed west to create art in the wild. He decided on the Great Salt Lake of Utah, where he created Spiral Jetty.

Smithson's piece, a 1,500-foot spiral sculpture, was hidden under the surface of the Great Salt Lake for 30 years. Due to a drought, the art piece is re-emerging, weathered by salt water and time.

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