No Art for Oil

In search of something beyond the New York art scene, Robert Smithson landed at Utah's Great Salt Lake, where he created Spiral Jetty amid abandoned oil derelicts. Now his deliberately noncommercial work is at risk of disruption by the return of oil drilling.

by

The American Prospect is nonprofit, reader-funded journalism—and we need your help.

Our reporters dig deep, hold power to account, and explain how policy shapes people’s lives. If you value independent journalism that goes beyond the headlines, now’s the time to support it.

Here’s how you can help:
Donate to power fearless reporting
Subscribe to get our print magazine 6x/year. 

Every dollar funds our in-depth reporting. 


Donate Now. Subscribe here.