Art and Nature at Storm King Art Center

"Adonai" by Alexander Liberman

Art and Nature at Storm King Art Center

This week I was at a unique site called Storm King Art Center in the Hudson River Valley, about an hour north of New York City. It is a 500-plus acre sculpture park and museum that features a permanent collection of works by a variety of masters such as Alexander Calder, Barbara Hepworth, Jeff Koons, and Roy Lichtenstein. A main feature is thirteen large sculptures by David Smith, placed around the grounds, and there are some magnificent works by Alexander Liberman.

The museum has nine galleries in a chateau-style building with windows that allow the outside to be part of the display. Large sculptures are integrated into the landscape of lawns, fields, hills, and forests, making every view a combination of art and nature. Maya Lin used the land itself in “Storm King Wavefield” to create a sculpture of seven wavy hills that generate a sense of movement and flow. Andy Goldsworthy wound an elegant stone wall through the woods. It is hard to resist the urge to feel the texture of the materials used and to move amid the various forms; alas, there is a no touch, no climb rule.

Mother Nature adds spectacularly artful panoramas at every turn. A broad expanse of meadows leads the eye to green hills and a cloud-flecked sky that provide a perfect backdrop for trees, artistic forms, birds, and dreams. It is hard not to be engaged with the site. It is a call to reconnect with one’s inner self through the art of man and the glory of nature 

For a brief overview of Storm King and links to some artists:

http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/entertainment/storm-king-art-center.html#ixzz2TqH6Q5i0  

For photos of the sculptures:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g48220-d105830-Storm_King_Art_Center-Mountainville_Cornwall_New_York.html