POST BY: JUOZAS CERNIUS
All photographs by Juozas Cernius, Caslon Photography
Editors note: BLNK is ongoing series of photo essays documenting art works and events we deem notable. In this post, photographer Juozas Cernius visits Robert Smithson’s monumental earth work, Spiral Jetty. Executed in 1970, the 1500 foot long counter-clockwise spiral jutts out from the shore of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. It is only visible when the water in the lake falls below 4,197.8 feet, which means it submerged for almost 3 decades after its construction. It reappeared in 2004, after a drought, and remains exposed at this time.
The road to Spiral Jetty is cattle country rugged. You can see Juniper and sagebrush and if its winter, Jack Rabbit piss dots the snow. Light changes quickly and when you approach the Jetty, it’s difficult to see. Dwarfed by its surroundings, even when you’re right in front of it, it looks like an anomalous pile of rocks, which is mostly what it is. Indeed, from the adjacent hill, it looks small enough to squeeze between your fingers.
Dry, submerged, salty or snow covered, any trip to Spiral Jetty will have parallel and distinct experiences from those who have gone before. It’ll take some time, but once there, you’ll see that the monument of the trip is not Spiral Jetty, but the affirmation of Utah itself: a corner of the world ruled by entropy and owned by no one.
A few of my photographs from this December after the jump.
-jc
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
One of my personal top 10 American artists and pieces. Beautiful photographs… it’s clear that the aerial shots we all know give a more overall picture of the spiral but I think the experience of getting there was what Smithson was also about. Great!!
What a beautiful tribute to Smithson and The Spiral. Great photos.