spiral jetty, utah

Spiral_jetty_utah_9_14_02, originally uploaded by timon and keely.

the spiral jetty is artwork by robert smithson, a monumental earthworks creation off the shore of the great salt lake in utah. this ikonos satellite image actually has a resolution of one meter, though you can't tell here (taken september 12, 2002). the recent and continuing drought in the southwest caused the lake to drop significantly, exposing the jetty, now covered in salt (that's why it's white). the spiral jetty was built in 1970 using black basalt rocks and earth to create a 1500 feet long and 15 feet wide coil that stretches counterclockwise. it is now part of the dia art foundation collection.

plug: if you live in the new york area, the dia: beacon is a fabulous place to dig into conceptual art (diabeacon.org).