Spiral Jetty
by Richard W Linford
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Price
$200,000
Dimensions
12.000 x 12.000 inches
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Title
Spiral Jetty
Artist
Richard W Linford
Medium
Painting - Acrylic Red, Gold Blue And Burnt Umber On Paper
Description
Spiral Jetty, Acrylic on paper. I am interested in Great Salt Lake, Utah. This jetty is a sculpture of earthwork. It was created/constructed in 1970 by Robert Smithson, American sculptor. It is located at Rozel Point, Great Salt Lake, Utah. Materials used are basalt rock, salt crystals, earth, mud and water set in or proximate to the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Its title is Spiral Jetty. It is 1,500-foot-long (460 m), 15-foot-wide (4.6 m). It is counterclockwise forming a coil that pushes out from the shore of the lake. This land water sculpture was donated to the Dia Art Foundation in 1999. The sculpture is under water at times. The water is blood-red in color. Smithson thought it was reminiscent of the "primordial sea." The red hue is a result of "salt-tolerant bacteria and algae" keeping mind that the salinity of the Great Salt Lake at the point of the jetty is 27%. In 1959, the Southern Pacific Railroad causeway isolated the "north arm" where the jetty is located. Smithson hired Bob Phillips from Ogden, Utah to move the 6,650 tons of rock and earth into the lake, using Bob's two dump trucks, his tractor, and a front end loader. Begun in April 1970, the jetty was constructed twice - six days the first time - 6,650 tons and 2-[3 days to move 7,000 tons of basalt rock. Virginia Dwan Gallery of New York financed part of the cost in the sum of $9,000. The art work is owned as mentioned by Dia Art Foundation. Dia maintains a photographic record of the work. There is a 32-minute color film about jetty titled Spiral Jetty. Smithson and his wife Nancy Holt shot the film. Spiral Jetty is Utah's official state work of land art. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_Jetty
Poem: Spiral Jetty
by Richard Linford
The Great Salt Lake;
Blood-Red once blue living water;
Rozel Point;
The northern arm;
Cut off;
Isolated
Watch the long, long train of time slide down the causeway;
Carrying coal or cars - or things few people understand;
This Southern Pacific Railroad - California bound;
The Basalt rock, the salt crystals, the Earth, the mud;
This counterclockwise Spiral Jetty life we lead;
‘Tis short at 1500 long;
‘Tis barely 15 wide;
This narrow gate of God into eternity;
Its coils do push out from the shore into the lake;
This Robert Smithson;;
Sculptor’s brainchild;
Sculpture of the land;
Rising from primordial mud and slime and sea;
At times we see though darkly;
Other times see not at all;
So fragile life;
Now harboring algae and bacteria;
Strangely tolerant of the salty brine;
From Great Salt Lake;
Salinity is high;
At twenty seven percent;
With drought and lack of water;
Massive pumps stand still;
While Bob’s dump trucks perform their work;
His tractor;
Front-end loader;
Had to build the jetty twice;
Take orders from old Smithson;
If Bob would be paid;
Dumping Basalt Rock;
The kind on which good houses stand;
Escape sand and mud and water mix;
She sure did love him;
Nancy Holt sure did;
She loved old Robert;
Let him do his thing;
Sans reprimand or bald complaint;
I think;
Dump massive loads of rock;
Let him build his Spiral Jetty;
Earthwork;
Ancient symbol;
Universal song;
Reminding one or two or all of us;
Of human weaknesses;
Of Godlike Odysseys;
Alpha and Omega;
Vast infinities;
The living waters;
Testaments;
To nature’s wonders;
Land art at very best;
This Chambered Nautilus;
This old and living earth;
Arising from the Dead Sea;
Symbol of great nature’s grace;
Organic growth;
He spoke order out of chaos;
Terrible star nurseries;
Sending forth their stars;
Galaxies forever;
Sacred curved geometry;
Your golden Spiral Jetty;
Reaches out into The Great Salt Lake.
Uploaded
September 17th, 2019
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