Storm King

I achieved 2 long term goals today. Firstly, I managed to actually hire a car and find my way off the island of Manhattan via the George Washington Bridge (no mean feat let me tell you and there were alot of terrifying false starts involving expressways I was not supposed to be on) and secondly, I visited the wonderful Storm King Art Centre.
Located 50 miles north of Manhattan, this 500 acre exhibition space provides a background of landscaped fields, rolling hills, water and woodlands for more than 100 incredible 20th century sculptures. It was founded in 1960 by 2 men - Ralph E. Ogden and H. Peter Stern - who had a vision to protect a beautiful piece of land and give something to the community. They started purchasing small sculptures, but the landmark was when they purchased 13 works by David Smith in 1967:

Since then, Storm King has continued to purchase monumental works from Henry Moore, Louise Nevelson, Alexander Calder and Sol LeWitt to name a few. The collection is also enhanced by ongoing loans and contemporary  acquisitions of works from artists such as Richard Serra,  Louise Bourgeois and Isamu Noguchi. 

If you read the Storm King website, it describes this Art Centre as "a museum that celebrates the relationship between sculpture and nature.....the exhibition space is defined by sky and land. Unencumbered by walls, the subtly created flow of space is punctuated by modern sculpture. The grounds are surrounded by the undulating profiles of the Hudson Highlands, a dramatic panorama integral to the viewing experience. The sculptures are affected by changes in light and weather, so no two visits are the same."

The name 'Storm King' comes from the mountain of the same name that rises up from the Hudson and protects the valley where the sculptures are placed. My photos do no justice for the majesty of the works or the setting, so it's worth either going to physically view the sculptures or look on the website. I will definitely be going back in summer.

Alexander Liberman - Adonai

Mark di Suvero - Chonk On

Alexander Calder - Black Flag

Alexander Calder - the Arch

Louise Nevelson - City on the High Mountain

Alexander Liberman - Adam

Tal Streeter - Endless Column

Maya Lin - Storm King Wavefield

Mark do Suvero - Pyramidian