ABSTRACT
The introduction proposes that the work of Robert Smithson illuminates the complexity and urgency for making art in the Anthropocene. In essence, it argues that his conception of the entanglements of human and natural history presciently anticipated and responded to what have emerged as the unique ecological challenges of the twenty-first century. While the introduction outlines the main artistic and intellectual currents that shaped Smithson's art and thought, which include mysticism, science fiction, and geology, it more specifically invites readers to understand his work as a form of geophilosophy that has the potential to awaken a new ecological consciousness in his audience. Consequently, the introduction proposes that Smithson's practice challenges conventional notions of both art and ecology, and in so doing, his work produces new possibilities for sustainable and ethical relations with the planet.
