C
WHERE ARE THESE
lass of
‘56
MUSTANGS NOW?
Albert Mardirossian, Bob Hofmann, Richard Hanle, Jack Russo, Thomas Negele, Joseph R. Jeffers, Richard Fincken
Land Art
here in Clifton and Beyond
His break from painting would Locally, they became developers, lead him to create a new genre, policy makers and do-gooders, Land Art. With the help of bullthe people that during the 1960s dozers, pilots, as well as his wife and 1970s helped shape Clifton and collaborator, the late Nancy into one of the largest and fastestHolt, Spiral Jetty, his best-known growing cities in New Jersey. project was completed in 1970. Regionally, nationally and interRobert Smithson and Nancy Holt Besides being his wife and colnationally, the members of the laborator, Holt, was an internationClass of ‘56 were indeed, as their ally acclaimed artist and a Class of 1956 Mustang. yearbook stated, “ready to go out into the world to seek their proverbial fortunes.” Building up Clifton Robert Smithson is one such example. While the late Here in town, guys like Tom Cupo, Al Mardirossian, internationally recognized artist did not have kind Murray Kashtan and other boys from Botany were words to say about his art education at CHS, he did get doing their own version of land art. Taking derelict and much inspiration from this area for his new genre of art. abandoned factories, vacant land and old farms, they By 1959, after his discharge from the Army, where developed Clifton. Cupo especially had a deft hand at he worked as an artist on a base in Georgia, Smithson shaping his hometown into a community for the 21st hiked, camped, and investigated geology across the century. He had a keen eye for design and often visited country. He had already begun showing his paintings in larger cities for inspiration on designing a project, and New York galleries, but was about to take an innovative his signature work remain a cornerstone in various new direction with his art, one that would take him out Clifton neighborhoods. of the studio, the gallery and the museum itself. 10 July 2016 • Clifton Merchant