The Spiral Jetty is in need of your help. Here’s what’s happening by way of Tyler Green’s excellent blog, Modern Art Notes:
Nancy Holt, Robert Smithson’s widow, recently sent an email out detailing specific threats to Smithson’s masterpiece, Spiral Jetty.
Yesterday I received an urgent email from Lynn DeFreitas, Director of Friends of the Great Salt Lake, telling me of plans for drilling oil in the Salt Lake near Spiral Jetty…I have been told by Lynn that the oil wells will not be above the water, but that means some kind of industrial complex of pipes and pumps beneath the water and on the shore. The operation would require roads for oil tank trucks, cranes, pumps etc. which produce noise and will severely alter the wild, natural place.
If you want to send a letter of protest to save the beautiful, natural Utah environment around the Spiral Jetty from oil drilling, the emails or calls of protest go to Jonathan Jemming 801-537-9023 jjemming@utah.gov. Please refer to Application # 8853. Every letter makes a big difference, they do take a lot of notice and know that publicity may follow. Since the Spiral Jetty has global significance, emails from foreign countries would be of special value.
They try to slip these drilling contracts under the radar, that’s why we found out so late, not through notification, but from a watchdog lawyer at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, the group that alerted me to the land leasing for oil and gas near Sun Tunnels last May.
The comment period has been extended to February 13th. According to Green’s blog today, the State of Utah has received over 1000 comments. The acting director of the Salt Lake City Art Center Leslie Peterson said, “I think they were impressed to be taking calls from Europe and Japan about an artwork in Utah.”
Please write or call. If you have been to the site, you understand. If you haven’t, trust me that it deserves preservation.
Didn’t Spiral Jetty only recently emerge after being inundated for a number of years? I’ve never been there. Is it really so impressive? I’m not a great fan of land art.
Check out this post:
http://madsilence.wordpress.com/2007/06/29/americas-most-wanted-artwork/
MadSilence
Yes, the Spiral Jetty was submerged for nearly 20 years and just reappeared about 4 years ago. I made a pilgrimage as soon as it was visible, and the rocks were coated with crystallized salt and minerals. By the time I visited it again last October the coating had worn off and the rocks had returned to their naked state.
Regardless of what the rocks are wearing, it is a spectacular experience. Just getting to the spot that Smithson carefully chose is part of what makes this site so unforgettable. Dirt roads cut through empty land for neary an hour. The final five minutes take you near the lake, its pink waters radiant in the sharp sunlight.
Not all earthworks are successful. Many feel contrived and too precious for my tastes. The Spiral Jetty is masterful because it speaks nature’s language. The Jetty is a Fibonacci curve that gently emerges from the lake edge at a soft angle. It isn’t screaming “Look at me!”, but more a quiet voice simply stating the cosmic truth: “Here we are.”
You write such an intelligent blog that you might be much better served by delving into Smithson’s writings directly. He was so articulate and deeply thoughtful, and reading about his intentions (in the spirit of your mission statement quote and source of the MadSilence title itself) would probably be a more persuasive gesture than my brief apologia here.
I remember seeing this photo on your blog a while back. I know it’s a place with special meaning to you. How sad to think its beauty might be threatened. I’ll send an email.
With all the sunshine over Utah, I would think that photovolteics might replace oil refineries.
C, Good point. I’m watching the situation carefully to see what happens. Thank you for checking in on this.
I sent an email out right after I read your post. Every little bit helps!
Here’s what I wrote:
Dear Mr. Jenning,
It has come to my attention that the state of Utah is considering drilling for oil near the Spiral Jetty on the Salt Lake. I’ve seen photos of the area, and find it to be a place of great beauty and solitude, enhanced by the simplicity of the earthworks jetty.
I ask you to please cancel the plans to drill for oil on this spot. Let’s preserve this landmark for future generations, and for ourselves. Shouldn’t we have the opportunity to relish a place where humans and the rest of nature blend together in harmony? It’s a rare sight where art and nature coexist so beautifully.
C, Thank you so much for your support. I hope I can lend a hand for your most passionate causes as well.
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