Robert Smithson - Rocks and Mirror Square II

Robert Smithson is a land/earth artist from the 1960s, best known for his work Spiral Jetty at the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Many of his sculptural works take materials, in this case rocks, out of their natural contexts and place them into unfamiliar scenarios. Here Smithson has ‘put the rocks to work’ supporting 8 mirrors arranged in a square, highlighting the rocks in the reflection. The vacant space shows that the rocks are a temporary installation in this space, like most other uses following their extraction from quarries. The stability of the rocks (and perceived stability of nature in general) is juxtaposed against the impermanence of the gallery installation. There is also seems to be a loose comment on the commodification of natural resources (and nature itself) by putting the rocks into such a ‘beautiful service’

Robert Smithson, Rocks and Mirror Square II - 1971

Basalt rocks and mirrors

Each mirror: 14 x 48 in. (36 x 122 cm) Overall dimensions: 14 x 86 x 86 in. (36 x 220 x 220 cm) irreg.

Collection National Gallery of Australia, Canberra