Nancy Holt, East-West Locators (1972) {detail]

Steel pipe

Overall dimensions variable (site responsive); two Locators: 60 x 12 x 2 in. (152 x 31 x 5 cm) each

Installation view: John Weber Gallery, New York, 1972

Photograph by Peter Moore; photograph © Barbara Moore/Licensed by VAGA, NY.

Artwork © Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York

view of a Locator

Nancy Holt, East-West Locators (1972) {detail]

Steel pipe

Overall dimensions variable (site responsive); two Locators: 60 x 12 x 2 in. (152 x 31 x 5 cm) each

Installation view: John Weber Gallery, New York, 1972

Photograph by Peter Moore; photograph © Barbara Moore/Licensed by VAGA, NY.

Artwork © Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York

Nancy Holt, East West-Locators (detail; 1972)

Steel pipe

Overall dimensions variable (site responsive); two Locators: 60 x 12 x 2 in. (152 x 31 x 5 cm) each

Installation view: John Weber Gallery, New York; 1972

Photograph by Peter Moore; photograph © Barbara Moore/Licensed by VAGA, NY.

Artwork © Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York

view of a Locator

Nancy Holt, East West-Locators (detail; 1972)

Steel pipe

Overall dimensions variable (site responsive); two Locators: 60 x 12 x 2 in. (152 x 31 x 5 cm) each

Installation view: John Weber Gallery, New York; 1972

Photograph by Peter Moore; photograph © Barbara Moore/Licensed by VAGA, NY.

Artwork © Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York

Nancy Holt, East-West Locators (detail)

Steel pipe

Overall dimensions variable (site responsive); two Locators: 60 x 12 x 2 in. (152 x 31 x 5 cm) each

Photograph by Peter Moore; photograph © Barbara Moore/Licensed by VAGA, NY.

Artwork © Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York

view of a Locator

Nancy Holt, East-West Locators (detail)

Steel pipe

Overall dimensions variable (site responsive); two Locators: 60 x 12 x 2 in. (152 x 31 x 5 cm) each

Photograph by Peter Moore; photograph © Barbara Moore/Licensed by VAGA, NY.

Artwork © Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York

Nancy Holt, East West-Locators (detail; Nancy Holt to the left))

Steel pipe

Overall dimensions variable (site responsive); two Locators: 60 x 12 x 2 in. (152 x 31 x 5 cm) each

Installation view: John Weber Gallery, New York; 1972

Photograph by Peter Moore; photograph © Barbara Moore/Licensed by VAGA, NY.

Artwork © Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York

view of a Locator with Holt sitting in a window

Nancy Holt, East West-Locators (detail; Nancy Holt to the left))

Steel pipe

Overall dimensions variable (site responsive); two Locators: 60 x 12 x 2 in. (152 x 31 x 5 cm) each

Installation view: John Weber Gallery, New York; 1972

Photograph by Peter Moore; photograph © Barbara Moore/Licensed by VAGA, NY.

Artwork © Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York

Nancy Holt, East-West Locators (detail)

Steel pipe

Overall dimensions variable (site responsive); two Locators: 60 x 12 x 2 in. (152 x 31 x 5 cm) each

Installation view: John Weber Gallery, New York; 1972

Photograph by Peter Moore; photograph © Barbara Moore/Licensed by VAGA, NY.

Artwork © Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York

view of a Locator

Nancy Holt, East-West Locators (detail)

Steel pipe

Overall dimensions variable (site responsive); two Locators: 60 x 12 x 2 in. (152 x 31 x 5 cm) each

Installation view: John Weber Gallery, New York; 1972

Photograph by Peter Moore; photograph © Barbara Moore/Licensed by VAGA, NY.

Artwork © Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York

Nancy Holt, East-West Locators (detail; view through a Locator)

Steel pipe

Overall dimensions variable (site responsive); two Locators: 60 x 12 x 2 in. (152 x 31 x 5 cm) each

Installation view: John Weber Gallery, New York City; 1972

Photograph by Peter Moore; photograph © Barbara Moore/Licensed by VAGA, NY.

Artwork © Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York

view through a Locator

Nancy Holt, East-West Locators (detail; view through a Locator)

Steel pipe

Overall dimensions variable (site responsive); two Locators: 60 x 12 x 2 in. (152 x 31 x 5 cm) each

Installation view: John Weber Gallery, New York City; 1972

Photograph by Peter Moore; photograph © Barbara Moore/Licensed by VAGA, NY.

Artwork © Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York

Nancy Holt, East-West Locators (detail: view through a Locator; 1972)

Steel pipe

Overall dimensions variable (site responsive); two Locators: 60 x 12 x 2 in. (152 x 31 x 5 cm) each

Installation view: John Weber Gallery, New York; 1972

Photograph by Peter Moore; photograph © Barbara Moore/Licensed by VAGA, NY.

Artwork © Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York

a circular view through a Locator

Nancy Holt, East-West Locators (detail: view through a Locator; 1972)

Steel pipe

Overall dimensions variable (site responsive); two Locators: 60 x 12 x 2 in. (152 x 31 x 5 cm) each

Installation view: John Weber Gallery, New York; 1972

Photograph by Peter Moore; photograph © Barbara Moore/Licensed by VAGA, NY.

Artwork © Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York

Nancy Holt, East-West Locators (detail: view through a Locator; 1972)

Steel pipe

Overall dimensions variable (site responsive); two Locators: 60 x 12 x 2 in. (152 x 31 x 5 cm) each

Installation view: John Weber Gallery, New York; 1972

Photograph by Peter Moore; photograph © Barbara Moore/Licensed by VAGA, NY.

Artwork © Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York

a circular view through a Locator

Nancy Holt, East-West Locators (detail: view through a Locator; 1972)

Steel pipe

Overall dimensions variable (site responsive); two Locators: 60 x 12 x 2 in. (152 x 31 x 5 cm) each

Installation view: John Weber Gallery, New York; 1972

Photograph by Peter Moore; photograph © Barbara Moore/Licensed by VAGA, NY.

Artwork © Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York

1970—1972

East-West Locators

Nancy Holt
1972
Two steel pipes
Overall dimensions: site-responsive; Locators: height 60 in. (152 cm); length 12 in. (31 cm); diameter 2 in. (5 cm) each
Artwork © Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York

In 1972, Nancy Holt made East-West Locators for a group exhibition titled Five Artists at the John Weber Gallery in New York City. A pair of Locators sit on the east–west axis near the windows of the exhibition space, each framing a view through a window to the exterior. The exhibition also included Tour of the John Weber Gallery, an audio work that describes East-West Locators. Looking outward, each Locator frames the view outdoors through its circular aperture; looking inward, each frames the complete apparatus of the other, backlit by light from the window. 

East-West Locators has yet to be presented posthumously. A site-responsive work, it requires a large exhibition space with windows in which comparable focal points can be established: the Locators sit in front of a window, and their full height is visible through the viewing aperture.

Writing

Now turn right. Ahead of you is East Locator made of black steel pipe. Walk straight ahead 9 paces 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 to East Locator. This Locator together with West Locator across the gallery space form one of my works. Now look through it towards the interior of the room. You will see West Locator. Now look through it the other way, out the window. You will see 4 windows of the loft building across the street.

[. . .]

Now turn right. Ahead of you is West Locator. Walk 8 paces 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8. Looking through the Locator towards the interior, you will see East Locator. Looking through the other way a steel bar divides your circumscribed vision. Behind it are the white bricks of this building.

Nancy Holt

From the score of Tour of the John Weber Gallery, 1972

Related Info

1970—1972
an industrial space showing a Locator installation
Crossed Locators
Nancy Holt
1972
1970—1972

In the summer of 1972, Nancy Holt presented Crossed Locators at 10 Bleecker Street in New York. Crossed Locators comprises four Locators arranged in two pairs across the room. Looking inward, each pair focuses on the Locator opposite it. Looking outward, they frame a series of focal points: a circular hole cut into a boarded-up window exposing bars and a brick wall; a wall of peeling paint with a circle outlined in chalk; a circular mirror; and a view of people walking on the street outside.

1970—1972
A sign with directions for an audio tour of the John Weber gallery
Tour of the John Weber Gallery
Nancy Holt
1972
1970—1972

Tour of the John Weber Gallery is Nancy Holt’s first publicly exhibited tour, made for the eponymous gallery which opened in 1971 in SoHo, New York City. Wall signage directed participants to use an earphone and tape recorder to follow the tour one at a time.

See Also