Forty years ago, the artist installed 400 stainless steel poles, each about 20 feet high, on a desert plateau in western new mexico. The first earthwork i ever encountered was, ironically, in the heart of new york. At the lightning field hawaii state public library. Completed in 1977, the work encompasses a 1 mile by. We did not have any lightening, but enjoyed exploring the lightening field, watching the sun set and rise, and staring at the few billion stars overhead. My night in the lightning field amtrak the national. Given that the area was noted for its high incidence of electrical storms, this massive work literally coopted natures forces to produce.
The lightning field new mexicos most amazing secret land art. The lightning field presents neverbeforeseen photographs of this land art masterpiece and its surrounding landscape in western new mexico. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. It consists of 400 stainless steel poles with solid, pointed tips, arranged in a rectangular 1 mile. My interest in land art began in childhood, when i first saw photos of robert smithsons spiral jetty, then newly built, in a magazine. It consists of 400 stainless steel poles with solid. The lightning field, an ideal coffeetable book to gift art or nature lovers.
Hanjo berressem university of alberta, march 7, 2016 in his book cinema 1. It was called the lightning field, and its creator, the new york sculptor and. This page was last edited on 17 february 2019, at 14. By the time i was old enough to visit the 1,500 foot rock, earth and salt crystal coil, it had long been submerged by the waters of the great. At the lightning field by laura raicovich overdrive.
From at the lightning field chaos and coincidences of history edward. I made my way by subway and on foot to 141 wooster street in soho. The cloud that does not part when we see the light three james turrell, works with light. He is known worldwide for his important sculptures such as lightning field, but his contributions to the practices of music, drawing, photography, and film have been largely forgotten. At the lightning field nonfiction by laura raicovich. Hed been a musician in his earlier days, and later created sculptures now seen in various cities of the world. The lightning field quemado, new mexico atlas obscura. Seeing the light that does not illuminate four james turrell, skyspaces. Over the course of several visits, it becomes, for raicovich, a site for confounding and revealing perceptions of time, space, duration, and light. This publication also includes the artists 1980 text on the work, some.
Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. It was commissioned by dia art foundation, which also maintains the work. Situated in a remote area of desert in southwestern new. Januarymarch fridaymonday, 11 am4 pm apriloctober thursdaymonday, 11 am6 pm novemberdecember. Then, in november, the foundation will release the first book of photography centered on the lightning field. The first earthwork i ever encountered was, ironically, in the heart of new york city. Featuring indepth analysis of many previously unknown works and correspondence, this book. The rustic, remote, and comfortable digs served as a center for a wonderful retreat from our busy world. The piece is located in a remote and rugged area of southwestern new mexicos high desert and is composed of 400 stainless steel poles installed in a grid measuring one. He was also at the forefront of the 20th centurys land art, conceptual art, and installation art. The lightning field presents neverbeforeseen photographs of this land art masterpiece and its surrounding western new mexico landscape. Like spiral jetty, the work is administered by the dia art foundation, whose instructions to potential visitors who must reserve well in advance include the following. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. During the spring and summer months, visitors from across the globe come to rural new mexico to experience the isolate wonder.
All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. Featuring indepth analysis of many previously unknown works and correspondence, this book offers. It is comprised of 400 polished stainless steel poles installed in a grid array measuring one mile by one kilometer. The lightning field quemado 2020 all you need to know. The lightning field is an installation located in westcentral new mexico. S00653 tracing the course of a typical 24hour visit to the site, the selection of images shows, for the first time, the rich complexity of site and land.