Robert Smithson

Here is a selection of work from the artist Robert Smithson.  These sculptures look at perspective and the illusion of space which I find really interesting. Smithson makes us question how we perceive space and the assumptions we make about space. The first two pieces to the left are perfect examples of this. The reflections of the mounds of debris create the illusion of space. The top image is very interesting in that the mound has been separated into four sections divided by mirrors, however the over flow of the soil joins up with the reflections so as to create the illusion of a single, unified mound. The other two images deal with issues of perspective. In the first image there are two points of perspective, the overall series of sculptures moving back into the distance creates one point of perspective but also each individual sculpture creates a point perspective as the boxes shrink in size from lowest to highest. The bottom image also deals with perspective. In the particular position the photo has been taken the outline of the hexagonal shapes form a new structure, however if you were to move around the sculpture you would only see the individual hexagonal shapes and the illusion would be broken. In both of these sculptures the viewer has to be in a certain place to get the full effect of the piece. I think it’s a very interesting idea to create a sculpture that can only be viewed from a certain space around it, this makes the viewer think about the space they are in and how that relates to the sculpture.