Honeymoon Machine

Robert Smithson
1964
Plexiglas, machine parts, black and white photographs on wood
30 x 14 x 5 in. (76 x 36 x 13 cm)

A photograph of a pin-up girl, her nipples connected via wire to a rudimentary electrical circuit, swoons against a hot pink background encased in plexiglass. This boldly lurid sculpture seems a far cry from Smithson’s renowned earthworks. Indeed, this aspect of Smithson’s artistic production is not often included in the dialogue surrounding his oeuvre, yet its vivid transgressions and outspoken social commentary demand recognition. The daring, impassioned explorations of Smithson’s younger years reveal an innate audacity and ravenous curiosity, which would later culminate in the massive undertakings of his land art.

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