Robert Smithson Enter a
feeling, not
a gallery.
Choose a mood and the room itself answers — the light cools or warms, the air changes pace, and only the works that carry that feeling step forward from the dark. Everything else recedes into shadow.
Robert Smithson
Early Life and Artistic Beginnings Born: January 2, 1938, in Passaic, New Jersey Early years spent in Rutherford and Clifton, New Jersey Studied painting and drawing at the Art Students League of New York (1955-1956) Early artwork explored collage influenced by homoerotic themes, science fiction, and pop art. Primarily identified as a painter during this period. Influenced by William Carlos Williams, who was his pediatrician
. The Shift to Minimalism and Conceptual Art After a three-year break from the art world, emerged in 1964 as a proponent of the minimalist movement. Abandoned figurative work, focusing on glass sheet and neon lighting tubes exploring visual refraction and mirroring. Developed interest in entropy (the second law of thermodynamics) – decay, renewal, chaos, order, non-sites, and earthworks. Saw entropy not as a disadvantage but…
