The Land Art movement began in the late 1960s as a way for artists to escape from the white cube and the commercialization of art. Earthworks artists wandered into the deserts of the Midwest to build monumental artworks away from the art scene to be discovered by solitary travelers. Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty, locate in the Great Salt Lake, UT, is the poster child of this movement.
Driving over 3,000 miles to visit eight Land Art pieces spanning the entire Midwest revealed that, in many instances, the Land Art behaved as an excuse to experience the awesome landscape. The Spiral Jetty was no exception. This project takes on the mantel of designing a series of pavilions that map out a pilgrimage to Smithson’s Spiral Jetty and will serve as a barometer for the Great Salt Lake to pay homage to the artwork.
The journey begins at the Salt Lake International Airport located Downtown in Salt Lake City and ends at the visitor center by the Spiral Jetty. The journey responds to the changing water levels of Salt Lake much like the Jetty. It is split into four different paths that takes the visitor through the four different types of geology in the area. Pavilions unique to each path dot the visitors’ journey to enhance their experience.
As the water level of Salt Lake rises and falls, paths become accessible or inaccessible depending on their elevation. For example, the Marsh Path takes visitors through natural bird preserves that become flooded during wet seasons. Likewise, the water path only becomes available when the water level reaches 4,212FT above sea level because the Water Pavilions are only accessible to boats at this elevation.
The Marsh Path weaves through two major bird preserves native to the area. The Marsh Pavilions operate as wildlife observation outposts for birdwatching. The Land Path runs through several major cities along the I-15 and through the Golden Spike National Monument. The Land Pavilions are information centers designed to educate visitors about each milestone. The Water Path takes visitors through Salt Lake itself and passes by several islands along the way. The Water Pavilions are lilypad structures in the lake with surfaces reaching exactly 4,212FT above sea level. Visitors can dock and step onto the lake’s surface. The Mountain Path covers two islands and several mountain ranges leading to the visitor center. The Mountain Pavilions are observatories that tower above the landscape to help visitor position their location and to enhance their viewing experience.
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