Spiral Jetty: A Brief Narrative Analysis

An artwork that transformed an outdoor location is the Spiral Jetty by Robert Smithson which was made in 1970, and is located in Great Salt Lake. The spiral was created in water by salt crystals and rocks that were gathered from the surrounding areas. The Gates as well as the Spiral Jetty had eye-opening impacts on their outdoor locations.

Both the Spiral Jetty and The Gates have transformed their respective outdoor locations. The Gates in Central Park were saffron colored structures with loose fabric of the same color that covered a distance of 23 miles along a walkway. They were man man made structures that were 16 feet tall, which created the feeling of a liminal space as visitors would stand or walk underneath it. Additionally, since The Gates were on display for a short period of time, the public felt a sense of urgency to experience them before they were taken away, Similar to The Gates, the Spiral Jetty was a man made work of art that transformed the view of the Great Salt Lake. Smithson created his spiral in a remote and inaccessible area by abandoned mines and equipment. He created his own version of a jetty, a pier on the water, by transforming it into a spiral of rocks sitting amongst the wilderness. Also, the water in

which the spiral was made in had a high concentration of bacteria that caused the water to be blood red. This contrast further highlighted the Spiral Jetty in the remote area.
The Gates and the Spiral Jetty have many similarities as well as differences.

The Spiral Jetty represents a common design in North American eathwork. The sculpture was constructed form natural elements from the area, whereas The Gates were made of steel frames and fabric. Secondly, the Spiral Jetty was meant to be taken apart slowly over time by the elements and nature. However, The Gates were a temporary installation that was displayed for two weeks before it was physically taken down my man. Even though the two pieces was many differences, they also have some similarities. The two works were man made within nature. The Spiral Jetty may have outlasted The Gates, but nonetheless it was created by a human and was not a natural

creation.
Lastly, the presences of these artworks created a new experience for the viewer. They re-sensitized the public to areas that were unnoticed or forgotten. The Gates covered a large portion of New York’s Central Park with was a special oasis for the community among the concrete jungle. Despite it being a man made space itself, Central Park was an area many New Yorkers wanted to keep “natural.” Because of this, it took the project 30 years to get approved. After the bright saffron structures went up, they were admired by tons people. The Gates represented a liminal space, the visitors were not in nor out. They were simply in a transitional period. Like The Gates, the Spiral Jetty displayed an area of Great Salt Lake that had been forgotten. Robert Smithson also wanted his work to show the convergence of man an the earth. Both of the works strived to re-introduce a location through a different light for its visitors.