Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty, an earthwork sculpture on the north end of the Great Salt Lake in Utah, turns 40 this month. In 1970 artist Robert Smithson created what many consider his most famous work, the Spiral Jetty.  He said of the site "As I looked at the site, it reverberated out to the horizons only to suggest an immobile cyclone."  The blood-red color of the water, caused by certain bacteria and algae, was also influential in deciding on the location.  This 'vision' was soon to become what we see today. For construction, Smithson hired a local contractor to haul the 6,550 tons of material into the lake.  Smithson used mud, precipitated salt crystals, and basalt rocks to create the 1,500 foot long, 15 feet wide installation in only six days. A few years after the jetty was built, the lake rose and submerged it for nearly three decades.  The jetty is now visible due to a drought in the state. To celebrate the birthday of it's creation, Mondo Fine Art will be coordinating a sunset field trip to the Spiral Jetty on Friday, April 30, 2010.  We will be meeting downtown Salt Lake City (location TBD) at 5:30 pm to carpool, or feel free to meet us there (approx. 7 pm). If you are interested in joining us, please email us at info@mondofineart.com by April 27th. If you can't make it with Mondo, head up there another time to see one of Utah's most famous links to the art world.  For driving directions click here.  Four-wheel drive vehicles are advised. References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Smithson http://www.robertsmithson.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_Jetty http://www.diaart.org/sites/main/spiraljetty