Holt’s Locators articulate several of her key concepts. Composed of a horizontal steel pipe mounted at eye level, the Locators function as lensless telescopes, directing and concentrating vision rather than magnifying it. Locator (PS1) was first shown at PS1 (now known as MoMA PS1), a former school building in Long Island City, New York in 1980.

Missoula Ranch Locators - Vision Encompassed (1972) by Nancy Holt is a site-specific sculpture created on ranchland near Missoula,  Montana. Eight Locators, T-shaped structures made from galvanized steel, were arranged in a circular formation and aligned with the compass directions outdoors, developing from experiments Holt conducted in her studio the previous year. Looking outward, each Locator framed a small circular view of the surrounding landscape, guiding the viewer’s gaze toward mountains, sky, and plains. Looking inward, the Locators face each other.