Ever since its temporary reappearance in the last decade of the twentieth century, the Spiral Jetty has been white, engulfed by a deep crust of salt. Now, starting in May 2005, the Spiral Jetty is been washed off of his white covering, slowly submerged by the rising waters of the Great Salt Lake and recuperating, thus, the black color it had in 1970 when it was built. Recent photos of the Spiral Jetty show this crucial change and a new, basalt-colored jetty not seen since the classic Gianfranco Giorgioni pictures.
Even though these dramatic events are part of the Jetty's life and "raison d'etre", the process affecting the piece nowadays is of the uttermost importance not only for the specific piece and the artist, but for our whole conception and understanding of this crucial monument of contemporary culture: entire meanings and interpretations might need to be reconsidered.
In a timely happening, starting June 23, New York City will host the first grand American retrospective of the art of Robert Smithson. Many aspects of this exhibition are based on the new white Jetty, those white salt crystals that dictate "every aspect of the Spiral Jetty pilgrim´s experience of the site" and now are mostly gone. An important essay by Jennifer L. Roberts in the catalogue is devoted to "Salt and Spiral Jetty". Furthermore, many of the photos of Spiral Jetty included in the book reflect the white surface it had until recently.
Now in the process of disappearing under water and recuperating its darkness, the absence of the salt-crusted Jetty of our current discourse, configuration and acceptance of Robert Smithson represents a shock to the written art history.
The slowly-washed Spiral Jetty of June 2005 should frame and affect the presentation of the Robert Smithson retrospective in New York, as well as elicit responses from Smithson scholars nationwide.
