Michael Heizer, Double Negative, 1969 - Moapa Valley, Nevada (May, 2024)
Background
Double Negative consists of two trenches cut into the eastern edge of the Mormon Mesa, Nevada. The trenches are perfectly aligned across a gap formed by the natural shape of the mesa edge. Including this open area across the gap, the manmade canyon measures 1,500 feet long. Both trenches are 50 feet deep, and 30 feet wide. A reported 240,000 tons of rock were displaced to create this canyon.
Double Negative is Michael Heizer's first prominent earthwork, completed between 1969-1970. “There is nothing there, yet it is still a sculpture.” The name stems from its… doubly negative nature. First, that unlike most art, he subtracted from his canvas instead of adding something. Second, the majority of the canyon has to be imagined in the empty space between the two trenches.
A view of both trenches from basically as close to the middle of them as you can get (the empty space)
As one of the earliest and largest installations of land art, it set the precedent. Challenging the boundary between art and nature, always encouraging viewers to consider their relation to earth and art. It is as permanent of a classic land art piece as it gets; and it really thematically aligns with the anti-gallery aspect of the Land Art movement.
Mormon Mesa rises up from the small town of Moapa Valley, just a couple hours from Las Vegas. At about 570 feet tall, with the town of Moapa Valley at around 400 feet, meaning you only have to climb 170ish feet of elevation in your vehicle. Over on the Virgin Valley side with Double Negative (opposite side from the town), the drop off is a bit steeper, the river being another 100 feet lower at around 300 feet.
From above the south trench's western wall
It is owned by The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. But according to Heizer’s wishes, there is a no conservation pledge, so nature will eventually reclaim the site.
Travel
The nearest major airport is Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. Double Negative is a 2 and a half hour drive northeast of Las Vegas. There’s a slightly faster route along I-15, but the route mapped below goes through Valley of Fire State Park, which is a worthwhile park to check out. Moapa Valley is the nearest town to the art piece. There aren’t a lot of restaurant or hotel options in the area, but they are there. Double Negtative is about a 30-45 minute drive from the town, give yourself 45 minutes so you don’t rush the final off road section, and risk your vehicle. You must rent a car to get there, there aren’t any public transportation options.
From Moapa Valley, head to the Overton Municipal Airport and drive on Mormon Mesa Road past it. You’ll drive up a gradual paved road (switches to a pretty solid dirt road about 3/4 of the way up) to the ridge at that pin called Heart of the Mesa. Once you’re over it, the rest of the route is flat, but on rougher dirt roads. The first section on the mesa is pretty doable in any car, but by the time you hit the far side it can only be described as rock paths. A higher clearance vehicle would be helpful, just to avoid some of the larger obstructions. Just go slow. There are multiple intersecting ways to do that final leg, we tended to take the interior option just to stay away from the edge, but it is pretty easy to see during the day, and you aren’t ever up against. I would not suggest doing it in the night. We were there at dawn, and the light was pretty good. The biggest risk is a flat tire from a rock.
There is plenty of space to park, nothing demarcated. We parked by the southern canyon, and walked around. It is free to visit, there are no fees or plaques of any sort. Standard rules of leave no trace apply. People were pretty respectful, we didn’t see any trash around, just the remnants of a couple firepits. There are obviously no buildings or facilities. So bring your own water and snacks. There are no barriers or safety features either, you could easily slip and fall into the canyon or off the mesa, so step lightly and be careful. Large portions of the canyon have collapsed since it was excavated, so it is by no means confidently stable.
The southern canyon is much longer than the northern canyon. There is no way to walk through one canyon and out the other, the mesa gives way and there isn’t a clean way to walk across. You have to walk around the top to visit the other side. The northern canyon is steeper and doesn’t have as much space for you to walk around within. The southern canyon is more gradual and easier to descend, as well as having a lower shelf that you can walk around.
Experience
We went in May, 2024; arrived at 5:45 am on a Sunday morning at Double Negative. It took us about 40ish minutes from our motel in Moapa Valley. We were just a tad late for sunrise, but that’s on us because we were a little sluggish getting out of bed that early. We were the only vehicle on the road, and the only people at Double Negative. We stayed for about 3 hours, and didn’t see or hear anyone else until we left the Mesa and saw a couple of dirtbikers riding up.
Sunrise over Double Negative
Sunrise comes over the mountains to the east. The weather was perfectly clear, still, and beautiful. Silence, except for our footsteps and the wind, and occasional moos from cows in the valley. The valley in the background is defined by the Virgin River. There were no buildings visible, but there was a herd of cows grazing within it. Pictures we had seen previously of Double Negative neglect to demonstrate the color disparity between the green valley, the beige mesa, and blue sky. It’s a beautiful vista regardless of the installation.
Going at either dawn or dusk is probably best since the sun isn’t as strong, there isn’t really any shade cover. We definitely recommend bringing a jacket as the mesa can be breezy and cold before the sun starts warming up. Plus you get the light and shadow coming across the man made excavated canyon. The walls of the canyon have caved in at points, really just succumbing to nature over the decades. I wouldn’t stand too close to the edges. That said… we obviously got some cool pictures with Mattos relatively near where Double Negative and the Mesa meet.
It does seem like the best vantage points are from above; drone footage seems like a great way to view the clean and precise line across the mesa gap. We don’t own a drone, so just standing at either end is the best way to take it in.
We ate dinner the night before at La Fonda Mexican Food (weirdly overpriced and only okay, but there aren’t a lot of options), and had breakfast at Kuppa Joe Coffee after visiting Double Negative. We drove north from there and went up to Zion and Bryce National Parks in Utah. The land of excellent soda and pellet ice.
Both parks were gorgeous and we highly recommend you visit. I won’t delve too far into them, as they honestly deserve their own featurette. Perhaps I should start a park blog (but let’s be honest, I don’t go to enough and there are plenty of great park blogs already out there). The picture on the left above is a view from Bryce’s ridge (which you drive along) down into their canyon. It is as unique of a canyon as it gets, with these really cool hoodoos everywhere. That’s what those narrow peaks are called. It’s also a very convenient park for anyone who doesn’t like hiking as you can get great views of most of it along the main park road. On the right above, is a lesser visited section of Zion, called Kolob Canyons. This was at the Timber Creek Overlook Trail, an easy short flat hike from the end of the road. I hear because we visited in May, it was still rather green, by the mid summer it dries out and there isn’t nearly as much vegetation.
Private vehicles have to pay $35 to get into either park for the day or $70 for an annual pass (for just one park). You might as well upgrade to the America the Beautiful pass for $80. Gaining you access to all National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands for a year. We did it, and it pays for itself fast. Plus money for parks is a good spend. You’re not going to regret that expenditure. Though it should be noted that ordering online does take a long time for delivery, so it’s recommended that you just do it in person, it’s pretty fast.
Above is a panorama from the top of Angel’s Landing, a terrifying crowded hike / climb, that was easily the most dangerous I’ve ever done. I did not enjoy it. It’s a there and back, along the same narrow precarious route, so I coudn’t really relax at the top and enjoy the vista. We heard from others doing it, that it was the least crowded they had seen it, by a factor of 3-4. I have no idea how you could do it with that many people there. At narrow bottlenecking points, you have to wait and let people come from the other direction before you can go in. This hike does require a separate permit application (this link is for the spring, there’s another one for the summer). We tried twice and got it on the second try. Every time you apply you have to pay a fee regardless if you get the tickets. A likely necessary evil since they have been helping the National Park Service handle increased traffic and applications and modernized the process; but it doesn’t feel especially great since a substantial portion goes to a Booz Allen Hamilton / Recreation.gov that run the permits, not the Park’s themselves.
The main canyon of Zion is just ridiculously pretty and has a Jurassic Park like energy. Crowded, but worth it. At sunrise it was beautiful to see the sun rays peek out from the canyon edges. We were also given the advice to drive through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel from the east, heading west into Zion if you can. We planned out our trip to accommodate this route and it was totally worth it.
Luckily I have friends Jeff and Kelly who work at Bryce as park rangers. They were wonderful hosts and showed us all the best areas of the park, including this cool slot canyon, called Willis Creek, just outside of Bryce. It’s a flat and easy hike, but it’s very cool and reminded me of Petra, Jordan. You don’t want to be caught there during any rain as it can easily flood, so check the forecasts. You also should have a four wheel drive vehicle driving out to it, the dirt roads are on have some elevation changes. We also did a private canyoneering (rappels) tour through Elkheart Cliffs Slot Canyon with East Zion Adventures and stayed at a glamping ground called Zion Wildflower. Our glamping ground had a lovely cold pool that was really nice to relax in after hiking all day, plus s’mores galore and a hot tub.
On the way to Moapa Valley we went to the nearby Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. Underrated and relatively convenient to Las Vegas, we highly recommend you go on some short hikes throughout. There’s a $15 entrance fee per vehicle. And there’s plenty to see with short walks from your vehicle. The Fire Wave hike is perfect for some cool social media pictures. It’s probably the best easily accessible version of famous The Wave feature in Utah.’s Coyote Buttes North. Permits are rather difficult to get, with only 64 people a day getting access to the area.
We didn’t make it to Fire Wave because of a flash storm (you can see the clouds gathering in the pictures, but we did hang out at the nearby Crazy Hill (same parking lot, but closer). With hindsight, I wish we had waited out the storm and gone to Fire Wave, it is only a 1.5 mile round trip hike from the parking lot. We also stumbled upon a proposal (weirdly, three of their friends dressed up in niqabs (to not be recognized I guess) and pretended to be an entirely separate group and took pictures of them during it, only to reveal themselves afterwards).
Summary
This area of the country has incredible nature. National and State parks galore, with relatively easy access via Las Vegas. Double Negative feels more remote than it is, and it is a must see for any Land Art lover. It is absurd and beautiful all at once.
Sources
Tarasen. "Double Negative." Double Negative by Michael Heizer. Accessed August 27, 2024. https://doublenegative.tarasen.net/double-negative.
Museum of Contemporary Art. "Michael Heizer: Double Negative, 1969." Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). Accessed August 27, 2024. https://www.moca.org/exhibition/michael-heizer-double-negative-1969.
Anderson, David. "Somewhere on the Road to Nowhere: Double Negative." At Length Magazine. Accessed August 27, 2024. https://atlengthmag.com/art/somewhere-on-the-road-to-nowhere-double-negative/.
The Cultural Landscape Foundation. "Double Negative." The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Accessed August 27, 2024. https://www.tclf.org/landscapes/double-negative.
Travel Nevada. "Double Negative." Travel Nevada. Accessed August 27, 2024. https://travelnevada.com/arts-culture/double-negative/.
Nevada State Parks. "Valley of Fire State Park." Nevada State Parks. Accessed August 27, 2024. https://parks.nv.gov/parks/valley-of-fire.
Visit Southern Utah. "Daily Lottery." Visit Southern Utah. Accessed August 27, 2024. https://visitsouthernutah.com/dailylottery/.
Recreation.gov. "The Wave Permits." Accessed August 27, 2024. https://www.recreation.gov/permits/4675310.
Field Mag. "Should Public Lands Be Free? Private Corp Booz Allen Now Operates the Permit System." Field Mag, September 15, 2022. https://www.fieldmag.com/articles/public-lands-fees-private-corp-booz-allen.