Born: October 1, 1935, Albany, California, USA
Died: July 25, 2013, Los Angeles, California, USA
Nationality: American
Style: Land Art, Minimalism, Conceptual Art
Influences: Desert landscapes, mathematics, existentialism
"The land is not the setting for the work, but a part of the work."
Notable Artwork
The Lightning Field (1977)
About Walter De Maria
Born: October 1, 1935, Albany, California, USA Died: July 25, 2013, Los Angeles, California, USA Nationality: American Style: Land Art, Minimalism, Conceptual Art Influences: Desert landscapes, mathematics, existentialism Major Exhibitions: “The Lightning Field” (1977), “The New York Earth Room” (1977), “The Broken Kilometer” (1979) Quote: “The land is not the setting for the work, but a part of the work.”
Notable Artwork: The Lightning Field (1977)
The Lightning Field is a large-scale installation in a remote area of New Mexico. It consists of 400 polished stainless steel poles arranged in a grid measuring one mile by one kilometer. The poles are designed to attract lightning strikes, although this is not the primary focus of the work.
Significance
The Lightning Field is a work of Minimalist precision and grandeur. It combines the man-made with the natural, creating a space for contemplation and a heightened awareness of the environment. The experience of the work is as much about the vastness of the landscape and the changing light as it is about the potential for lightning.