The Lightning Field is a long term installation made by Walter de Maria in the desserts of western New Mexico in 1977. The installation is made up of 400 polished stainless steel poles each standing 20 ft and 7 inches (6.27 meters) tall, and about 2 inches (5.1 cm) in diameter. The poles are positioned in a grid-like manner, each 220 ft (67 m) apart from the other.
Although this installation attracts lightning, experiencing this work of Land Art does not depend on its occurrence. The Lightning Field is intended to be experienced over an extended period of time. For this reason, Walter de Maria offers the opportunity to rent an overnight cabin which can accommodate up to 6 guests during the months May – October.
If you’re interested in experiencing this amazing work, here is a link to the Visitor Information page on the Dia Art Foundation website (they commissioned this piece):
http://www.diaart.org/sites/page/56/1301
and it’s cheaper for students 😉
Panoramic video of The Lightning Field because its difficult to find a video because copyright
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