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.

Made of green painted metal, plastic, and electric light, Crater marks a transition point in Robert Smithson’s sculptural thinking. It rises from the ground as a symmetrical, hexagonal metal structure, extends upward uniformly until reaching its pinnacle, then levels off, opening to reveal a glowing purple kaleidoscopic void extending down into the sculpture’s core. This sculpture incorporates Smithson’s enduring interest in the history of the earth, landscape, crystalline structures, and science fiction.