"The copious literature on the work of artist Robert Smithson has made very little of the many parallels between the inventor of earthworks and the nineteenthcentury author of pataphysics, despite the established fact that the artist read and made notes from Alfred Jarry’s Dr. Faustroll (1898) while working on the Spiral Jetty in 1970, which undoubtedly influenced the subsequent Broken Circle &/ Spiral Hill (1971, Emmen). Given the insightful literature reassessing Jarry’s influence on twentieth-century artists including Marcel Duchamp, John Cage and Rodney Graham, a consideration of Smithson’s spiral earthworks in connection with Jarry is long overdue. In contrast to prevailing art research practices today, Smithson’s work is much more aligned with the pataphysical pursuit of ‘imaginary solutions’ that examine ‘the laws governing exceptions’ and describe ‘a universe which can be – and perhaps should be – envisaged in place of the traditional one’."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Edward A. Shanken (2013). "Broken Circle &/ Spiral Hill: Smithson’s Spirals, Pataphysics, Syzygy, and Survival."
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_Smithson
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Robert Smithson
(January 2, 1938 – July 20, 1973) was an American artist famous for his use of photography in relation to sculpture and land art.
7 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Robert Smithson →
Related Quotes
"Visiting a museum is a matter of going from void to void. Hallways lead the viewer to things once called 'pictures' a…"
"Cultural confinement takes place when a curator imposes his own limits on an art exhibition , rather than asking an a…"
"Writing should generate ideas into matter, and not the other way around."
"The scenic ideals that surround even our national parks are carriers of a nostalgia for heavenly bliss and eternal ca…"
"Nature is never finished."
"In the artist/theorist tradition of Robert Smithson, Joseph Nechvatal is a pioneer in the field of digital image maki…"
"Comin' in on a wing and a pray'r Comin' in on a wing and a pray'r Tho' there's one motor gone, We can still carry on,…"
"Each person acts on the assumption that more money will bring more happiness; and, indeed, if he does get more money,…"
"This book brings out vividly the titanic struggle now taking place, not only in the United States, but over the entir…"
"Encouragement goes a long way! Recognizing people’s hard work and dedication only makes them want to give more to you…"