Walter de Maria, an American artist, was a pivotal figure in both Minimalism and Land Art. Fascinated by conveying phenomenological experiences including time, geology, and weather, De Maria often utilized elemental materials like dirt or steel, exemplified in The Lightning Field (1977). “Natural disasters are a particular area of interest for me and I believe they represent the highest form of art one can experience,” he once commented. Born on October 1, 1935 in Albany, CA, he attended the University of California, Berkeley, earning his MFA in 1959. Relocating to New York in 1960, he began creating sculptures rooted in Dadaist ideals, immersing himself in the circle of Minimalist artists such as Sol LeWitt and Carl Andre. Through the decades that followed, the artist continuously challenged the boundaries of art, operating out of his expansive studio in the East Village neighborhood of New York. He passed away on July 25, 2013 while visiting his mother in Los Angeles, CA. To this day, De Maria’s creations are held in the esteemed collections of the Dia Center for the Arts in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Kunstmuseum Basel, among other institutions.
www.ftn-books.com has some de Maria titles available.
