Journey 1 | Land Arts of the American West

2012 Land Arts Journey 1 Summary

Land Arts 2012 at Texas Tech first journey ran from 28 August to 24 September 2012. The expedition continues to amplify the growing momentum of the Lubbock based program. The exceptional group of participants are: Zoe Berg (artist), Katy Chrisler (poet), Cade Hammers (architect), Martin Medina (architect), Maura Murnane (artist), Colleen O’Brien (artist), Jigga Patel (architect), Nicholas Pierce (poet), Arie Ruvinsky (artist) and Cecilia Stewart (architect). Jose Villanueva (Land Arts 2009 Alum) is the Program Assistant and Chris Taylor continues to direct the program at Texas Tech.

From the wonderfully multivalent introductory site in the shadow of White Sands Missile Range to the remote archeological remains of Moon House our itinerary traversed significant physical and conceptual territory. We were out for twenty-seven days and traveled around 3,500 miles overland. During that time we were visited by outstanding field guests: geologist and Laguna Pueblo tribal member Curtis Francisco, Remote Studio director Lori Ryker, CLUI Director Matt Coolidge, SIMPARCH member Steve Badgett, artist and film maker Deborah Stratman, artist and fabricator Rob Ray, Intrepid Potash plant manager Russ Draper, and writer Lucy Lippard.

Our departure from West Texas began with the rising heat of late summer. The second night at Twin Buttes was punctuated by a prolonged wind storm that immediately tested the logistics of our kitchen as well as a few personal tents. From White Sands we ventured northwest past the Trinity Site highway marker to Cebolla Canyon. From this base camp we spent a day with Curtis Francisco touring the reclaimed Jackpile Mine at Laguna Pueblo. Jackpile was the largest open pit uranium mine from the mid 1950’s until the 1980’s. Ground water contamination continues to be among a host of issues and Curtis was encouraged to tell of recent traction towards Superfund status. On our way north traversed the Grants Mineral Belt, aka the uranium mining epicenter, stopping at the New Mexico Mining Museum in Grants to gain perspective. At Chaco Canyon we explored Pueblo Bonito, Penasco Blanco and Casa Rinconada experiencing the escalation of architectural impulse in North America and becoming aware of the complexity of narratives attempting to make sense of the place.

From Chaco we continued northwest to Cedar Mesa for a work site at Muley Point. Recent rains had filled most of the tinajas and new growth evidenced an ecosystem in rebound. We spent one day hiking out on Snow Flat to the archeological site of Moon House. The permit process to access the site continues to tighten. After the hike we went down to Mexican Hat for a cool down swim in the muddy and refreshing San Juan River.

From Muley we traveled northwest crossing the Colorado and Dirty Devil rivers at Hite, resupplying in Green River and stopping for a night on the eastern face of the Wasatch range at Price Canyon. We needed to break up the drive from Muley to the Spiral Jetty so we could visit the Bingham Canyon Mine the next morning. The open pit copper mine is so big they boast it can be seen from space. (It is often challenged as the largest excavation by the copper mine in Chuquicamata, Chile.)

We arrived at Spiral Jetty by Robert Smithson to join Lori Ryker and her crew from the Remote Studio who were on there first expedition of the semester from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It was great to spend to spend an evening with them and exchange experiences about spending time in the wilderness examining what we find there.

From Spiral Jetty we ventured north around the top of the lake along the path of the first transcontinental rail line to Lucin and lunch at Sun Tunnels by Nancy Holt. From there we were making good time south to Wendover when an error of judgement occurred. Conditions on the playas had appeared dry so a split decision was made to try the pipeline road cutoff that runs across the mud flats north of the Silver Mountains. We would all regret this later, in good cheer, as we spent several hours dealing with getting the vans liberated from the mud they became lodged in. Suppose it’s true what they say about short cuts… The good news is that Matt Coolidge was in Wendover and he was able to help organize the rescue, including riding out on the mud-cat.

Once in Wendover, Utah we entered the orbit of the Center for Land Use Interpretation. CLUI Wendover is always a highlight and this year was no exception. Students were eager for a proper shower (first in two weeks), laundry, learning about the center, and making their own work in this context. People spent time working across the airbase and town, out on Bonneville Salt Flats, and out at South Base where Steve Badgett and Deborah Stratman were in residence. Our poets spent a day with Steve and Deb hiking up a mountain ridge to experience the Hawk Watch program in action. Rob Ray also joined the crew to work with Deb on Power / Exchange. Steve was so impressed with what Jose has done with our kitchen operation that he presented us with a hand crank blender to augment the preparation of more fresh salsas. Time in Wendover always seems to evaporate and energy levels draw low with long days and short nights. It is a fascinating and intensely productive landscape.

From Wendover we ventured south to Mormon Mesa, Nevada and the site of the earthwork Double Negative by Michael Heizer. We arrived in mid afternoon so before setting up camp we continued on to Lake Mead to cool down. Being here ten days later than past years made a ten degree shift in the high temperatures. Everyone appreciated that they remained around 100 instead of 110.

After two days with the work we traveled north to climb the Kaibab Plateau for our approach to the Grand Canyon. Our first night was spent in the alpine forest of Tipover Canyon–waking to frosty conditions. For the next two nights we had a permit to camp out at Point Sublime. Usually we make the trip for a single afternoon and evening. It was fantastic to have more time at such a powerful spot on the rim. While there we made new friends with fellow campers Bruce and Inez who now share their travel post cards with us.

Our return route included a stop at the Red Dog Shed in Madrid with a visit to Lucy Lippard in Galisteo. The students gained much from the exchange with her about the trajectory of her career and what she is working on now. The following day on our way back to Lubbock we visited Bosque Redondo in Fort Sumner, New Mexico–the destination site of the Long Walk of the Navajo and Mescalero Apache. Currently the Little Sister Rug is on view.

Once back in Lubbock we unloaded the vans and did a major cleaning and sorting of the gear to make it ready for our departure on Journey 2 on Wednesday 3 October 2012. Look for more Field Reports whenever we have the ability to make remote posts. A select group of images from Journey 1 are included below.

Loading up in Lubbock, Texas.

First site cook tent set up, Twin Buttes, New Mexico.

Martin working at White Sands, New Mexico.

Trinity Site Highway Marker, New Mexico.

Visiting Jackpile Mine site with Curtis Francisco, Laguna Pueblo.

New Mexico Mining Museum, Grants, New Mexico.

Lunch preparations, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico.

Penasco Blanco, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico.

Inside Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico.

Fish tacos for dinner at Muley Point, Utah.

Jose making fried eggs for breakfast, Muley Point, Utah.

Zoe’s field notebook to woman’s mysteries, Moon House, Cedar Mesa, Utah.

Exploring Moon House, Cedar Mesa, Utah.

Kite aerial photography in progress, Muley Point, Utah.

Cecilia working at Muley Point, Utah.

Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah.

Dinner with Lori Ryker and the Remote Studio crew, Spiral Jetty, Rozel Point, Utah.

Venturing out into the Great Salt Lake from Rozel Point, Utah.

Working at the Spiral Jetty, Rozel Point, Utah.

Hula Hooping at Sun Tunnels, near Lucin, Utah.

Crew after trying to working the vans in the mud, north of Wendover, Utah.

Preparing for the ride out of the mud, north of Wendover, Utah.

CLUI Orientation with Matt Coolidge, Wendover, Utah.

Touring the flight line of the former Wendover Army Airfield, Wendover, Utah.

Test atomic bomb loading pit at the former Wendover Army Airfield, Wendover, Utah.

CLUI Target hall with Steve Badgett and Matt Coolidge, Wendover, Utah.

Stuffed poblano pepper, Wendover, Utah.

Matt Coolidge talking about the Center for Land Use Interpretation operations and structure, Wendover, Utah.

Exploring Bonneville Salt Flats, Wendover, Utah.

Touring Intrepid Potash with Russ Draper, Wendover, Utah.

Sunset beyond the Enola Gay hanger, Wendover, Utah.

Katy and Nicolas writing after breakfast, Wendover, Utah.

Cade and Martin working at South Base, Wendover, Utah.

Steve helping Jose with the inaugural use of the new blender (courtesy of Steve), Wendover, Utah.

Bonneville Salt Flats, near Wendover, Utah.

Jose working on Bonneville Salt Flats, near Wendover, Utah.

Steve Badgett, SIMPARCH lecture, South Base, Wendover, Utah.

Double Negative, Mormon Mesa, Nevada.

Colleen working at the edge of Double Negative, Morman Mesa, Nevada.

Napping in the van on the drive from Wendover to Morman Mesa, Nevada.

Frosty morning waking around the fire ring, Tipover Canyon, North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Arizona.

Colleen at Point Sublime, North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Arizona.

Point Sublime sunset, North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Arizona.

Camp at Red Dog Shed in Madrid, New Mexico.

Seminar with Lucy Lippard, Galisteo, New Mexico

Nic cranking salsa in the blender, Red Dog Shed, Madrid, New Mexico.

Bosque Redondo, Fort Sumner, New Mexico.

Nic, Jigga, Arie and Jose cleaning gear at the end of Journey 1, Lubbock, Texas.

2011 Land Arts Journey 1 Summary

Land Arts 2011 at Texas Tech concluded its first journey on Wednesday 21 September 2011. The expedition amplifies the growing momentum of the Lubbock based program. The exceptional group of participants from architecture and art are: Alexander Bingham, Luis Bustamante III, Will Cotton, Winston Holloway, Richard Klaja, Celeste Martinez, Zachary Mitchell, Carl Spartz, Rachael Wilson, and Bethany Wood. Adrian Larriva (Land Arts 2009 Alum and TTU MARCH graduate) is the Program Assistant, and Chris Taylor continues to direct the program at Texas Tech.

From the wonderfully multivalent introductory site in the shadow of White Sands Missile Range to the remote archeological remains of Moon House our itinerary traversed significant physical and conceptual territory. We were out for twenty-seven days and traveled around 3,500 miles overland. During that time we were visited by outstanding field guests: geologist and Laguna Pueblo tribal member Curtis Francisco, documentary filmmaker Sam Douglas, art historian Ann Reynolds, CLUI Director Matt Coolidge, SIMPARCH member Steve Badgett, and Rob Ray.

Considerable heat welcomed our departure as much of West Texas has been scorched this summer. It remained with us punctuated by epic rain events tempering the extremes. From White Sands we ventured northwest to Chaco Canyon to experience the escalation of architectural impulse in North America and to become aware of the complexity of narratives attempting to make sense of the place. From there we traversed the Grants Mineral Belt, aka the uranium mining epicenter es, stopping at the New Mexico Mining Museum in Grants to gain perspective. Our usual site in Cebolla Canyon was unaccessible to use in our vans because of washouts through the deep arroyo. We adjusted and found a nice site up Sand Canyon. The following day was spent with Curtis Francisco touring the reclaimed Jackpile Mine at Laguna Pueblo. Jackpile was the largest open pit uranium mine from the mid 1950’s until the 1980’s. Ground water contamination continues to be among a host of issues and Curtis was encouraged to tell of recent traction towards Superfund status.

Our next top was another adjustment. As we departed Lubbock Tom McGrath phoned to followup on our inquiry to visit the Roden Crater Project by James Turrell. It seemed that timing was right and we swapped the North Rim of the Grand Canyon for a Roden Visit. This meant an opportunity to explore a new base site in the Coconino National Forest and spend an afternoon and early evening in the crater–a significant highlight for the students.

Venturing further west our next stop was Mormon Mesa, Nevada and the site of seminal earthwork Double Negative by Michael Heizer. We arrived to intense heat, as usual this time of year, so dips into an elevated Lake Mead were especially welcome to cool down and do a bit of laundry and bathing. While we were at Double Negative we were joined by Sam Douglas of Big Beard Films who is working on a new project about land art tentatively called “Moving Mountains: Land Arts of the American West.” Sam and his crew of David Hartstein, David Layton, and Ben, joined us to document the field operations of the Land Arts program.

A scheduling opportunity brought art historian Ann Reynolds to our group a day early so we made another itinerary adjustment from Goshute Canyon to South Base in Wendover, Utah to take advantage of the fine SIMPARCH sound system for the screening of Sam Douglas’s last documentary “Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the spirit of the Rural Studio.” The other serendipity was that the University of New Mexico Land Arts crew was in Wendover then so we were able to invite them to the screening and spend an evening swapping stories from the road.

Up early the next morning we were off around the top of the Great Salt Lake stopping at Sun Tunnels by Nancy Holt along the way to Spiral Jetty by Robert Smithson. I was particularly surprised with the new road extending all the way to the jetty. What had been before a gradually slowing drive across an increasingly rough road, the last mile at a snails pace carefully picking ones way around large rocks, has become a wide built-up road bed. Now it’s possible to zip all the way out there without pause. Seems a tour bus could even turn around at the end the bright pad is so large.

The Great Salt Lake was at a wonderfully elevated level so the Spiral Jetty was visible as a mirage in the surface of the water with only the highest rocks breaking the surface. The condition meant that it was a work to be apprehended by walking, or “seeing with your feet” as one of the students said. Understanding this work beyond its character as a visual image is essential and a powerful lesson of land art.

It was great to be there with art historian Ann Reynolds and a wonderful seminar took place on the afternoon of our second day there. Given the time to experience both the work and the larger context of Rozel Point and the oil exploration jetty to the south opened several lines of dialog. Sam and his crew also made good use of there time with us.

The next morning was another 8:00am departure heading the rest of the way around the lake. Our first stop was the Bingham Canyon Mine, an open pit copper mine so big they boast it can be seen from space. (It is often challenged as the largest excavation by the copper mine in Chuquicamata, Chile.) Since Robert Smithson has proposed works for the bottom of the pit it was particularly relevant to be there with Ann Reynolds. In the visitors center parking lot we bid our farewells to Ann, Sam and his crew as they set off for the Salt Lake airport and back to Austin, and we went on to Wendover, Utah to meet Matt Coolidge of the Center for Land Use Interpretation.

CLUI Wendover is always a highlight and given this season’s action packed start it is our first concentrated work site. Students have become eager to have time to make their own works and to reflect on the range of conditions and topics we have been exposed to thus far. They are also eager to do proper, well almost proper, laundry. We begin our time in Wendover with a lecture about CLUI from Matt and a day of touring the Wendover facilities and landscape conditions. The following days are spent with people working across the airbase and town, out on the Bonneville Salt Flats, and out at South Base where Steve Badgett and Rob Ray are in residence. Time in Wendover always seems to evaporate and energy levels draw low with long days and short nights. It is a fascinating and intensely productive landscape.

After Wendover our last work site for Journey 1 is Muley Point on Cedar Mesa in the far southeastern corner of Utah. The drive is long and epic across the top of a nearly full Lake Powell, with our usual camp site occupied we set up further west at a site much closer to the 1,100 edge of the mesa overlooking the goosenecks of the San Juan River. The sky is active to the north and southwest so we pitch camp quickly. As dinner concludes a big storm rolls in from Monument Valley dropping a significant amount of rain and lightning. Within an hour the sky calms and people retreat to their tents.

The remaining days were spent both exploring the landscape of Muley Point with filled tinajas and working. We also spent one day hiking out on Snow Flat to the archeological site of Moon House. The new trail remains strenuous however it is much safer than the old one. After the hike we went down to Mexican Hat for a cool down swim in the very muddy and swift San Juan River. The level was so high that there was essentially no bank and it was nearly impossible to walk across the river. So our efforts to float a bit of the river had to be limited to short distances. Still, and even with all the mud, it was refreshing to get in the water.

Our return route included a stop over at the Red Dog Shed in Madrid and the following day a visit to Bosque Redondo in Fort Sumner, New Mexico. This was the destination site of the Long Walk of the Navajo and Mescalero Apache. The audio guide and other programing are particularly moving.

Once back in Lubbock we unloaded the vans and dig a major cleaning and sorting of the gear to make it ready for our departure on Journey 2 on Thursday 29 September 2011. Look for more Field Reports whenever we have the ability to make remote posts. A select group of images from Journey 1 are included below.

Loading up in Lubbock

Loading up in Lubbock, Texas

Sam Douglas and Big Beard Films documenting our departure from Lubbock, Texas.

Twin Buttes, New Mexico

Unloading gear for the first time at Twin Buttes, New Mexico.

Setting up the cook tent for the first time, Twin Buttes, New Mexico.

Van mounted mapping notebook thanks to the work of Jose Villanueva and Sunny Tang, Twin Buttes, New Mexico.

White Sands National Monument

Alex Bingham’s reference book at White Sands National Monument, New Mexico.

Traveling to Chaco Canyon

Traveling from Twin Buttes to Chaco Canyon, New Mexico.

Stopping at the Trinity Site highway marker, New Mexico.

Chaco Canyon

Hiking to Pueblo Alto, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico.

Overlooking Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon.

Touring Pueblo Bonito with G.B. Cornucopia, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico.

Grants

Visiting the New Mexico Mining Museum, Grants, New Mexico.

Jackpile Mine, Laguna Pueblo

Above Jackpile Mine with geologist Curtis Francisco, Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico.

Talking with geologist Curtis Francisco on top of Gabaldon Mesa in the reclaimed open pit uranium Jackpile Mine at Laguna Pueblo.

Traveling

Truck stop lunch, Interstate 40, Arizona.

Roden Crater Project

Approaching Roden Crater, northeast of Flagstaff, Arizona.

Visiting Roden Crater with Tom McGrath.

Lake Mead

Laundry at Lake Mead, Nevada.

Double Negative

Walking Double Negative, Morman Mesa, Nevada.

Big Beard Films

Big Beard Films at Double Negative, Morman Mesa, Nevada.

Celeste Martinez interviewed by Sam Douglas at Double Negative, Morman Mesa, Nevada.

Citizen Architect

Screening the film Citizen Architect with filmmaker Sam Douglas, CLUI South Base, Wendover, Utah.

Sun Tunnels

Ann Reynolds at Sun Tunnels, near Lucin, Utah.

Sun Tunnels by Nancy Holt, near Lucin, Utah.

Carl Spartz being interviewed by Sam Douglas at Sun Tunnels, near Lucin, Utah.

Spiral Jetty

Arrival at the Spiral Jetty, Rozel Point, Great Salt Lake, Utah.

Camp at Spiral Jetty, Rozel Point, Great Salt Lake, Utah.

Within the Spiral Jetty, Rozel Point, Great Salt Lake, Utah.

Alex and the helicopter at the Spiral Jetty, Rozel Point, Great Salt Lake, Utah.

Oil Exploration Jetty, Rozel Point, Great Salt Lake, Utah.

New road to the Spiral Jetty, Rozel Point, Great Salt Lake, Utah.

Seminar with Ann Reynolds at Spiral Jetty, Rozel Point, Great Salt Lake, Utah.

Dusk at the Spiral Jetty, Rozel Point, Great Salt Lake, Utah.

Bingham Canyon Mine

Ann Reynolds explaining Roberts Smithson’s proposal for the bottom of Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah.

CLUI Wendover

Matt Coolidge talking about the work of the Center for Land Use Interpretation, Wendover, Utah.

Inside the Wendover Airfield Museum with Matt Coolidge at the John Costen-Mueller replica of Little Boy, Wendover, Utah.

On the Bonneville Salt Flats, near Wendover, Utah.

Touring the Clean Livin infrastructure with Steve Badgett, South Base, Wendover, Utah.

Laundry sans heat, Wendover, Utah.

Carl Spartz and Will Cotton prepare to talk the quad bike on a CLUI Wendover Auto Tour, Wendover, Utah.

Heading out onto the Bonneville Salt Flats, near Wendover, Utah.

Steve Badgett talking about the work of SIMPARCH under the atomic sky at South Base, Wendover, Utah.

Installing a bat tarp in the Target Hall to help CLUI and the South Base bats coexist, Wendover, Utah.

Late night clean up after dinner and a movie at South Base, Wemdover, Utah.

We get our energy from the sun, Wendover, Utah.

“Creation Myth of the Great Basin” by Carl Spartz, Wendover, Utah.

Alex Bingham taking readings around Wendover, Utah.

Muley Point

Arrival at Muley Point, Utah. Usual site occupied. Set up near the rim with storm looming in Monument Valley to the south.

Exploring the edge at Muley Point, Utah.

Celeste Martinez celestial vaulting at Muley Point, Utah.

At the edge looking towards Monument Valley, Muley Point, Utah.

Celeste drying hand, Muley Point, Utah.

Tub Harp by Will Cotton, Muley Point, Utah.

Will packing lunch for the Moon House hike, Muley Point, Utah.

Utensils Bin, Muley Point, Utah.

Hiking through the canyon, Cedar Mesa, Utah.

Winston inside Moon House, Cedar Mesa, Utah.

Cooling off and cleaning up in the muddy waters of the San Juan River, Mexican Hat, Utah.

Camp drawing by Chris Taylor, Muley Point, Utah.

Alex drawing at Muley Point, Utah.

Campfire and Milky Way, Muley Point, Utah.

Travel Day dawn, Muley Point, Utah.

Traveling back to Lubbock

Another Truck Stop lunch in the shade (narrow as it is), Bloomfield, New Mexico.

Carl, Adrian and Will at Red Dog Shed, Madrid, New Mexico.

Listening to the stories of Bosque Redondo and how it was the destination of the Long March for the Navajo and Apache, Fort. Sumner, New Mexico.

Lunch at Bosque Redondo, Fort Sumner, New Mexico.

Cleaning up from Journey 1, Lubbock, Texas