Robert Smithson, the earthworks artist who died when his plane crashed in 1973, is best known for his 1970 piece "Spiral Jetty," done in the Great Salt Lake. This volume, published in connection with the exhibition at Columbia University, seeks to illuminate other aspects of Smithson's brief career which have been rarely seen or studied.

An introductory essay by Eugenie Tsai recaps the artist's development and relates his drawings to the more familiar three-dimensional work. A number of previously unpublished writings by Smithson, a lengthy interview with him, and reproductions of drawings and collages complete the volume.