Galvanized steel pipe, earth, concrete foundations
Circle of Locators: diam. 40 ft. (12.2 m); Locators: 60 x 12 x 2 in. (152 x 31 x 5 cm) each
© Holt/Smithson Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York
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. The work explores perception, orientation, and how people visually structure their environment. 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.
In the accompanying film, Holt shows people looking through the Locators and the views framed by the circular apertures. On the poster she designed for the work—seen in the carousel above—she indicates that the diameter of the circle is 40 feet, with a distance of vision stretching from 10 feet to 150 miles.
The sculpture was dismantled by the landowners in 2003.
