The Sculpture That Set Robert Smithson's Auction Record

Robert Smithson's Alogon #3 (1967) sold for $4.3m at Sotheby's in New York on May 14, 2008. The painted steel work in 20 units had not been traded before.

Smithson created three "Alogon" sculptures in the mid 1960s. All three are comprised of stepped metal pieces in different variations. Alogon #3 is the most dramatic of the three. The monumental work is made of 20 units, the largest of which measures 46 inches long. The artist was partly inspired by the grids on maps for his Minimalist sculpture.

In 2009, Glenstone Museum founded by Mitch and Emily Rales included the work, titled Alogon III, in a group show drawing on its collection.

In the next stage of his career, Smithson famously moved on to creating epic works of Land art, completing his masterwork, Spiral Jetty, in 1970 on the edge of Great Salt Lake in Utah. He died in 1973 in a plane crash while surveying a site for a new work in Texas.

The sale beat the artist’s previous auction record by $3.68m, a 500% rise. His previous record was set by Untitled (1964), which sold for $620,000 at Christie's on November 8, 2005.

A Brief History of Robert Smithson at Auction