Despite the trend toward so-called “public sculpture,” artists producing these works frequently become mired down by bureaucratic specifications and uninformed assessments of their pieces. It has been difficult for some contemporary sculptors to make the transition from the gallery to the external environment. Without the museum, sculpture that affects a nonart look often fails to engage our full attention. Michael Heizer overcomes this limitation by responding to the site as a place that is distinctive and vivid. He has consistently shunned the museum and gallery in favor of more natural