David Brooks' Geological Sculpture 'Repositioned Core' Installed at University of Texas at Austin

David Brooks created a 70-foot-long site-specific sculpture titled 'Repositioned Core' for the University of Texas at Austin's College of Fine Arts Visual Arts Center in 2014. The work consists of a scientific sample of rock and earth extracted from nearly 6,000 feet underground, spanning from the second-floor ceiling across the gallery to a garden patio door. While massive in human scale, the sculpture represents just a revealing sliver by geological standards, containing fragments of rock and siltstone that record extensive Earth history. This history remains largely abstract and legible primarily to those with geological knowledge, with some components not fully visible to visitors due to the work's imposing dimensions. Brooks' installation powerfully evokes the formalist tradition of Land Art while functioning as a geological record. The artist also has permanent work at Storm King Art Center. The exhibition was on view through December 6, 2014.