In a relatively simple integration of mirrors and geometry, Smithson creates a chaotic enigma of perception. Enamored by the landscapes of science fiction, Smithson sought the fantastical within rational logic and vice versa. Of particular interest was the structure of crystals, which he described as “highly ordered nonsense.” In ​Four-Sided Vortex, ​the viewer is bombarded by converging lines and their reflections, as well as dismembered glimpses of the surrounding space. All is neatly contained within a precise rectangular box and if one steps far enough away, its contents disappear.