Dylan Tomei
Art and Music Appreciation
5/14/18
The five best earthworks of the World
1. Spiral Jetty. The spiral jetty was made in 1970 in the Great Salt Lake in Utah by Robert
Smithson. The work is made of six thousand tons of basalt rocks and is shaped into a
coil 15 feet wide and 1500 feet long.
2. The Lightning Field. Made in 1977 by sculptor Walter De Maria in New Mexico, this work
is made of 400 polished steel poles. The purpose of this is in the name, It attracts
lightning for a beautiful image. During May through October visitors are advised to stay
overnight to get a full experience.
3. Sun Tunnels. Another earthwork in Utah, The sun Tunnel was made in 1976 by Nancy
Holt. Nancy explores the human perception of time and space. The tubes are 9 ft high by
18 ft long. The tunnels bring the sky to earth with light bouncing through the tubes. Two
tunnels align in the summer to capture the sunrise and sunset while the other two do the
same thing except in the winter.
4. Storm King Wavefield. Made in 2007 by Maya Lin, The Wavefield makes a image like
you are out at sea in a big swell where sight of waves and land is lost between the
swells. The field is made of gravel mounds covered by grass.
5. Double Negative. This earthwork consists of two trenches that were cut in Nevada in
1970. The trenches line up with each other. They measure 50 feet deep and 30 feet
wide