Metaphor, the Tree of Utah

Wendover, Utah

We give some credit to the State of Utah for at least tolerating experiments with environmental comedy. "Metaphor: The Tree of Utah" can't be serious. Metaphor is an 87-foot tall sculpture poking up out of the white plains of the Bonneville Salt Flats.

The Tree was created in the early 1980s by European artist Karl Momen. It is also known as "Metaphor: The Tree of Life." It was dedicated in 1986 as "A hymn to our universe whose glory and dimension is beyond all myth and imagination." We guess the Mormons like this sort of thing, or it wouldn't be here (though it is pretty far from Salt Lake City...). Artist Momen doesn't have to look at it; he bought patch of land, built the thing, and went back to Sweden.

Near the base of the Tree, there are several fallen "leaves" -- large spherical segments intentionally scattered on the salty ground. It's where your traveling companions would pose if this were a tourist attraction instead of a work of art. As dumb as it is, Metaphor is the only thing for hours worth photographing.

One thing -- they don't want people stopping (Momen didn't spring for the cost of an exit ramp). There is no parking lot or pull-off, and there are "Emergency Parking Only" signs along the highway. Fortunately, our emergency happened right there, as it did for another car going in the opposite direction.