The Mood Room · Robert Smithson

Robert Smithson Enter a
feeling, not
a gallery.

Choose a mood and the room itself answers — the light cools or warms, the air changes pace, and only the works that carry that feeling step forward from the dark. Everything else recedes into shadow.

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Works in the Room
Period · Movement
6
Emotional Tones
Robert Smithson

Robert Smithson

Early Life and Artistic Beginnings Born: January 2, 1938, in Passaic, New Jersey Early years spent in Rutherford and Clifton, New Jersey Studied painting and drawing at the Art Students League of New York (1955-1956) Early artwork explored collage influenced by homoerotic themes, science fiction, and pop art. Primarily identified as a painter during this period. Influenced by William Carlos Williams, who was his pediatrician

. The Shift to Minimalism and Conceptual Art After a three-year break from the art world, emerged in 1964 as a proponent of the minimalist movement. Abandoned figurative work, focusing on glass sheet and neon lighting tubes exploring visual refraction and mirroring. Developed interest in entropy (the second law of thermodynamics) – decay, renewal, chaos, order, non-sites, and earthworks. Saw entropy not as a disadvantage but…

Set the room's mood — the light follows
Now showing — All · — works lit