Q1: Smithson discusses in this article the construction of Spiral Jetty and the relation to crystals this artwork has. Additionally, Smithson articulates his ideas regarding the interaction between size and scale. He believes " size determines an object, but scale determines art" (147). He indicates that scale is a personal experience with the artwork. If scale is subjective and artwork can be viewed and perceived from various scales, then are scales a site? Should artists leave scale to be determined by the audience an how does that impact the artwork itself?
Q2: The application of entropy to art reveals the incorporation of time and space into the realm of the artwork. Time begins to "lose energy" (11), while energy is more easily lost than obtained. This stresses the importance of the past and the insignificance of the future. Smithson believes the future will bring mass assimilation, and therefore the audience is influenced to forget the future rather than remember the past, as a normal monument would (11). Yet, I have difficulty understanding the concept that time is broken down in "many times" (11) if all time is being viewed from an objective standpoint in the "objective present" (11). If the past has an omnipotent power over time, then how can the discussed artworks contain "inactive history" (10). ?
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