Maya Lin Unveils Her Environmentally Sensitive "Storm King Wavefield"
The celebrated artist sculpts waves out of gravel and earth for this permanent installation at Storm King Art Center.
Sheila Kim -- Interior Design, 3/25/2009 12:00:00 AM
We may never be able to walk on water, but strolling along the Hudson Valley's "Storm King Wavefield" might be the next best thing. Artist and environmentalist Maya Lin blurs the line between public art and landscape design in this site-specific work, opening on May 9 at the Storm King Art Center in Mountainville, New York. Situated on an 11-acre site, the permanent addition to the southwestern portion of the sculpture park comprises seven 300-foot-long rows of undulating hills that resemble ocean waves.
"Storm King Wavefield,” 2007-2008, by Maya Lin; photograph by Jerry L. Thompson
"It is my hope that, by providing an immersive environment that blurs the distinction between viewer and artwork, and artwork and nature, 'Storm King Wavefield' will focus visitors' attention on the landscape in which the work is sited," says Lin.
The artist transformed what was formerly a gravel pit by first researching fluid dynamics and mid-sea waves, and then translating the pattern, scale, and pacing into waves of gravel existing on the site. These underlying structures, measuring between 305 and 368 feet in length, were then covered in topsoil, and planted with grasses ranging from Creeping Red Fescus to Canada Bluegrass. The resulting landscape indeed creates the sensation of being amid large swells at sea, where one can see for miles when standing atop a crest and then lose visual contact with adjacent waves when in the trough or lowest parts.
“Storm King Wavefield,” 2007-2008, by Maya Lin; photograph by Jerry L. Thompson
Lin's work on this environmentally sensitive project is not yet done: The artist has been tracking both her travels to and from the site and energy used by contractors in executing the installation to calculate the carbon footprint generated by the entire production. To offset this, Lin and Storm King propose to plant indigenous trees along the periphery of the site.
“Storm King Wavefield,” 2007-2008, by Maya Lin; photograph by Jerry L. Thompson
Concurrently with the opening of "Wavefield," Storm King is presenting the exhibition "Maya Lin: Bodies of Water," featuring a dozen works—from installation and sculpture to photography and drawings—that reflect the artist's interest in water in its various states, as well as a video and photographs documenting Lin at work. While the "Wavefield" installation is a permanent work, "Bodies of Water" will remain on view through November 15, 2009 only.
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