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Espace Sculpture

Sun Tunnels and Archaeoastronomy Iris Amizlev-Shoham

Du jardin au désert From Garden to Desert Numéro 54, hiver 2000–2001

URI : https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/9485ac

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Éditeur(s) Le Centre de diffusion 3D

ISSN 0821-9222 (imprimé) 1923-2551 (numérique)

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Citer cet article Amizlev-Shoham, I. (2000). Sun Tunnels and Archaeoastronomy. Espace Sculpture, (54), 34–36.

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Cet article est diffusé et préservé par Érudit. Érudit est un consortium interuniversitaire sans but lucratif composé de l’Université de Montréal, l’Université Laval et l’Université du Québec à Montréal. Il a pour mission la promotion et la valorisation de la recherche. https://www.erudit.org/fr/ Du jardin au DÉSERT From GARDEN to Desert

Sun Tunnels and IRIS AMIZLEV-SHOHAM

For art-loving city-dwellers longing for nature, a trip to Sun Tunnels, in Utah's Great Basin Desert (or any Land art, for that matter), is likely to be a fulfilling experience, a perfect fusion of natural setting and art appreciation. For those seeking an added bonus, visiting during the summer or winter solstice ensures a magnificent sight. Four con­ crete tunnels placed in an open X con­ figuration are aligned so that the sun rises and sets in the exact centre of two ofthe tunnels during the solstices.1 Nancy Holt, Sun In fact, Sun Tunnels, made by American thrilled as two city girls starved for nature our predecessors lived. And the fact that Tunnels, 1973-1976. artist Nancy Holt between 1973 and 1976, would be. we were going to watch the sunrise Photo : Iris Amizlev- contains several references to astronomy. The setting for this artwork is true through the tunnels during the summer Shoham (1997). Other celestial elements are the differently American wilderness. The desert is stark solstice further compounded associations sized holes drilled in the top half of each and, except for mountains in the far dis­ with the past. It reminded me ofthe tunnel. The holes form various configura­ tance, the tunnels provide the only sub­ numerous theories that I had read tions that correspond to the stars in four stantial thing for the eye to focus upon. A regarding megaliths, the Nazca lines, and different constellations: Columba, Draco, bed of low scrub brush grows on the other ancient sites said to be aligned astro­ Perseus, and Capricorn. The holes' diam­ crackled dry earth, but it is non-imposing. nomically. eter, 18, 20, 23, and 25 centimetres, vary There were other people at the tunnels There were about thirty-five people pre­ according to the magnitude of stars repre­ when we arrived, confirming my suspicion sent in the morning. We watched the sun sented. The sun and moon shine through that visitors tend to coordinate their trips rise through two different tunnels, and these holes, casting circular or oval to see alignments at landworks, if they again, when the event was over, many shadows on the bottom surface and sides exist. We watched the sun set in the tun­ people left. We spent most ofthe day ofthe tunnels' interiors, thus forming con­ nels with twenty-three people and three relaxing inside tunnels and looking at stellations within the tunnels as well. The dogs. When the fleeting event was over, views through their openings, taking in the shapes and positions differ from hour to some people left while others set out for desert beauty and tranquillity. We listened hour, day to day, and season to season, their tents. We slept in one tunnel and to birds, looked at insects, and watched relative to the sun and moon's positions in spent a rather freezing night. mini sandstorms in the distance lifting dry the sky. Waking up was a unique experience. I little shrubs and twirling them in the air. I planned a trip with a friend to see the was enclosed in a large concrete tunnel, We spoke to people, napped, and went for summer solstice sunrise and sunset at Sun the wind was howling, I was disoriented, walks. Tunnels. Upon landing in Salt Lake City, we cold, and felt very secluded. It was the New groups of people arrived in the rented a car and headed for the tunnels. epitome of "being in the middle of evening to watch the sunset. After pitching The scenery on the way was spectacular. nowhere." Montello, the nearest town, was their tents, they congregated in front of the The sparkling crystals in the shallow water thirty-three kilometres away. Had others tunnels that were going to frame the align­ ofthe Bonneville Salt Flats, the convoy of not been around, the sense of solitude ment, chattering excitedly while waiting for mountains, the vast sky, the coyote, ante­ would probably have been intensified. the sun to set. The sky had a pinkish hue lope, and fox sightings, all made us as I couldn't help thinking that this is how with clouds dancing to the sun's melody.

34 ESPACE 54 HIVER / WINTER 2000-2001 Everyone watched the alignment in silent historic humans with capabilities previ­ tion of seasons through its orientation to harmony, while those with cameras pho­ ously unnoticed. solstices and for signalling eclipses ofthe tographed the event to record it. Finally, For pre-calendar, agricultural (or pas­ sun and moon. the sun descended through the tunnels toral) groups whose existence depends on Shortly after these and similar specula­ again. the fruitfulness of earth, noting the cycles tions become well-known, Land artists Seeing this landwork and being familiar of nature that affect the earth's fecundity such as Holt, Robert Morris, James Pierce, with others leads to inevitable questions could be indispensable. The evidence doc­ Charles Ross, Michelle Stuart, James about the similarities between them and umenting ancient astronomy suggests that Turrell, and Bill Vazan created works that ancient sites. What led Holt and other some archaeological sites might have been are astronomically aligned, featuring the artists whose names are associated with aligned to observe patterns that influenced sun, moon and stars as sculptural ele­ Land Art to align some of their works astro­ the environment, thereby measuring times ments. The appearance of such landworks nomically? of year to gauge approximate dates of coinciding with the new ideas about During the 1960s and 70s, discoveries in importance for Neolithic farmers. ancient sites is interesting and suggests, the field of archaeoastronomy flourished Gerald Hawkins's revelations about if not a direct causality between the two, and a boom of information lead to an Stonehenge, in Stonehenge Decoded a general awareness of archaeoastronomy. intensified awareness of prehistoric struc­ (1965), were among the most famous of One may logically conclude that artists are 2 Nancy Holt, Sun tures. Astonishing theories about ancient these hypotheses. By "decoding" the affected by their knowledge of prehistoric Tunnels, 1973-1976. astronomy received widespread media megalithic monument using statistics and astronomy. Photo: Amizlev- coverage, were sensationalized and popu­ a computer, Hawkins proposed that From their comments, we can infer that Shoham (1997). larised in books, newspapers and maga­ Stonehenge was zines, thereby informing the general an ancient astro­ Nancy Holt, Sun populace and possibly Land artists. nomical obser­ Tunnels. Summer solstice sunrise, Suddenly the mysteries that had shrouded vatory, used as a June 21,1997. these remains became clarified (though reliable calendar Photo: Amizlev- not unanimously accepted), endowing pre­ for the predic­ Shoham.

ESPACE 54 HIVER / WINTER 2000-2001 35 the motivation for using sky observations its onset. Artists still seek to escape the NOTES : in their work is a combination of wanting to museum establishment and revel in the 1. The solstices occur during the sun's cycle through mark time and the cycles of nature, as well formal liberties that exterior locations its annual orbit in relation to the fixed stars. These as a yearning for primal roots. Obviously, allow. Some continue to align their works are the longest and shortest days ofthe year. In the modern art does not require the informa­ astronomically, thereby extending their northern hemisphere, they occur June 21-22 and tion provided by a rudimentary calendar; it efforts beyond the landscape into the December 21-22 respectively, during which the sun rather alludes to a more abstract concept celestial sphere, resulting in an intensified is furthest from the equator. of time, one closer to what we imagine was outdoors factor and a universal language 2. Gerald S. Hawkins, Stonehenge Decoded (New perceived by the ancients. of form. York: Dell Publishing Co., Inc, 1965). Aside from the seasonal cycles that Sun Tunnels is timeless. Despite its cre­ 3. Janet Saad-Cook, "Touching the Sky: Artworks Using Natural Phenomena, Earth, Sky and aligned works measure, shifting natural ation and status as art, it could have func­ Connections to Astronomy," Leonardo 21 (1988): forces transform the colors and shadows tioned thousand of years ago as a foreteller 128. of landworks and their surroundings. Sun of seasons, like Stonehenge (barring 4. Nancy Holt, interview by author, tape recording, Tunnels is one ofthe most elaborate such obvious formal dissimilarities, such as the Montreal/Finland, 15 July 1997. works, as it offers three different ways of tunnel shapes and the use of concrete as a gauging the hour. One can tell time medium — contrary to other landworks that according to the shadows cast by the tun­ do share formal affinities with ancient nels themselves, by light penetrating the sites), and if the tunnels resist weathering L'auteure « re-visite » les Sun Tunnels que l'artiste tunnels through their openings, and by the (a possibility, considering the relative dura­ américaine Nancy Holt a réalisés entre 1973 et 1976 presence and location of spots of light bility of concrete), might be practical thou­ dans le désert de l'Utah. Quatre cyclindres en béton piercing through the constellation holes. sand of years from now. If Sun Tunnels had Spending a full day at any three dimen­ been made today instead of during the alignés de telle sorte que, lors des solstices, le soleil sional object or "environment" above 1970s, it would be just as effective (though se lève et se couche en plein centre de deux d'entre ground that casts shadows is like perhaps lacking an impact as one ofthe eux. Cette œuvre, en fait, recèle plusieurs références observing a sun-dial. Moreover, landworks earliest aligned landworks). Whether align­ whose structural elements feature the peri­ ments are viewed thousands of years ago, à l'astronomie : tes configurations des perforations odic apparition of alignments measure two decades ago, today, or far into the sur le dessus de chaque cylindre correspondent aux time on a seasonal scale. future, contact with the sky and the cycles étoiles de quatre constellations, tandis que la It appears that the experience of the sky of nature is inevitable. lumière du soleil et de la tune pénètre ces orifices, is pertinent to Land artists, while the sci­ Holt sums up this concept: "I feel that ence of astronomy is much less critical. the need to look at the sky — at the moon dessinant des constellations au fond des tuyaux et Watching an alignment can instill a sense and stars — is very basic, and it is inside all sur les parois internes qui varient d'heure en heure, of continuity with the past, as we imagine of us. So when I say my work is an exterior­ de jour en jour et de saison en saison. D'ailleurs, des Neolithic farmers watching celestial events ization of my own inner reality, I mean I am études sur l'astronomie ancienne soulignent que at ancient sites. By the power of associa­ giving back to people what they already tion, astronomically aligned landworks link have in them."3 Her belief, that all humans certains sites archéologiques auraient été aménagés viewers with their predecessors, helping share an innate intimacy with the sky, might dans le but d'observer des motifs qui influençaient them to look back in time and to think be shared by other artists that choose to l'environnement, comme de mesurer les époques de about how it might have felt to observe the reinstate this ancient interest. For anyone sky and events taking place within it spending time outside, the sun, moon and l'année pour prévoir les dates importantes pour les through the structural features of ancient stars become vital components of one's cultivateurs de l'époque néolithique. sites especially built for such purposes. existence as they guide all activities. «Je crois, affirme Nancy Holt, que le besoin de The use of alignments in modern art can If the need to look at the sky is as basic contempler le ciel - la lune et les étoiles - est be a means of reminding people of ancient as Holt believes, the attraction to Sun ways, by reinforcing the perception of our Tunnels is not likely to dissipate. In fact, fondamental et présent en chacun de nous. Ainsi, predecessors as living in tune with the the tunnels have become more popular lorsque je prétends que mon travail est une forces of nature. Modern astronomy has with time as regards visitors during the extériorisation de ma propre réalité intérieure, je solved many mysteries and instigated new summer solstice (muddy roads make veux dire que je redonne aux gens ce que déjà ils puzzles, but ironically, as knowledge about access during the winter solstice diffi­ the universe is gained, an intimacy with the cult). 4 The apparition of Land Art during possèdent au fond d'eux-mêmes. » Cette croyance sky is lost. Whether due to a lack of need or the latter 1960s coincided with an ecolog­ — que tous les humains partagent un lien d'intimité the démystification of nature, contemporary ical awareness, a time when many people inné avec la voûte céleste — est aussi partagée par urban societies are rarely connected with regarded their predecessors with nos­ the sky. Holt and other artists encourage talgia, imagining that they had lived in har­ certaines artistes qui choisissent de rétablir cet viewers to reconnect with it by placing their mony with nature. Environmental concerns intérêt ancestral. Pour quiconque vivant beaucoup à landworks outside, with the sky, its ele­ have not abated since then, and similar l'extérieur, le soleil, la lune et les étoiles constituent ments, and nature as their mediums. assumptions about the ancients are main­ des composantes essentielles puisque ce sont eux These preoccupations still prevail in tained, hence the ongoing appeal of astro­ Land Art today, more than thirty years after nomically aligned landworks. I qui guident toutes les activités de la vie.

36 ESPACE 54 HIVER / WINTER 2000-2001