By Jenny Brundin
Salt Lake City, UT – SEARCHING FOR NEW FORMS AND CONCEPTS, A GROUP OF ARTISTS IN THE 1960'S ABANDONED THE GALLERIES OF NEW YORK AND HEADED TO THE DESERTS, PLAINS AND MOUNTAIN SUMMITS TO CREATE NEW WORKS. BULLDOZER SCOOPS AND MECHANICAL CRANES REPLACED THE ARTIST'S BRUSH AND PALLETE. THIS NEW GENERATION OF ARTISTS CUT GREAT TRENCHES INTO THE EARTH SHIFTED TONS OF DIRT OR PILED ROCKS INTO SWEEPING CURVES AS IN ROBERT SMITHSON'S SPIRAL JETTY IN THE GREAT SALT LAKE. SOME EARTHWORKS WERE EMPHEMRAL - LIKE A MASSIVE SMOKE RING SUSPENDED IN THE AIR; OTHERS, CARVED DEEP INTO THE EARTH, WILL LAST THOUSANDS OF YEARS, LIKE THE MYTHICAL MARKS OF PRE-COLUMBIAN TEMPLES. FROM SALT LAKE CITY, JENNY BRUNDIN REPORTS ON ONE OF THE MOVEMENT'S SEMINAL PIECES, THE SUN TUNNELS.
NANCY HOLT WILL PRESENT A MULTI-MEDIA PRESENTATION ON THE SUN TUNNELS THIS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AT THE GREAT SALT LAKE ISSUES FORUM. THE FORUM WILL CELEBRATE THE ART AND SCIENCE OF THE GREAT SALT LAKE. THERE WILL BE PRESENTATIONS FROM A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS, INCLUDING ONE ON ROBERT SMITHSON'S SPIRAL JETTY. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT THE FRIENDS OF THE GREAT SALT LAKE'S WEB SITE, WWW.FOGSL.ORG OR CALL 583-5593.