A couple weekends ago, Benjamin and I took a little trip to Storm King Art Center.
Storm King is a 500 acre sculpture park with more than 100 sculptures and installations. It’s located in the mountains surrounding New Windsor, New York, about an hour north of us.
We rented bikes and pedaled around to see the art. Among my favorites were:
Maya Lin’s “Storm King Wave Field”—I’ve been in love with Maya Lin since I watched a documentary about her. From the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, to the Civil Rights Memorial, to this piece, I am always struck by how she pays attention. Her work is thoughtful, quiet, and specific. On this site, her waves added subtle beauty to the already present hills. Lovely. Just lovely.
Alyson Shotz’s “Mirror Fence”-This piece charmed me like a picket fence should. Yes, there could be a deeper statement, maybe of suburbia/Americana imposing on a natural landscape or some art school comment like this. But I was on a bike feeling 12 years old. I liked the shine, and I wanted a popsicle.
Roy Lichtenstein’s “Mermaid”-Because… pop culture… and because his work always makes me want a new coloring book. There was a fuzzy duckling swimming beneath his giant gal canoe, and I liked this sweet little scene.
Andy Goldsworthy’s “Storm King Wall”—Wow! Like Maya’s work, this piece speaks with the landscape. Such a pretty snake of a wall meandering up the hills and even down under the little pond. Beautiful!
Johnny Swing’s “Nickel Couch” and “Butterfly Chair”—First of all, how about the name Johnny Swing? I want that name. Epitome of cool. These pieces were just fun. A chair and couch constructed entirely from nickels or fifty cent pieces. Oh yeah.
And last but not least…
“Five Stone Columns” from the Danskammer mansion- Because these were not attached to a building, they looked like ruins on those sweeping hills. I imagine this was a purposeful choice on the part of the center. Nicely done. We snapped a photo for my Dad, the retired Latin teacher. He used to have paper columns like these in his classroom. Enjoy Papa!
My one critique of Storm King is that they need to splurge for mountain bikes. I understand that they have to make money, so they don’t allow you to use your own bike, but c’mon. The nice attendant told me their bikes were “all terrain.” Um, no. They were beach cruisers—no tread on the tires, only 3 speeds, and only front brakes. These were not made for uphill climbs. I’d gladly pay a fee to use my own bike for a smoother ride. Just my 2 cents.
Other than this, Storm King was a fun place to spend a morning, and we hope to return someday to see more of it.
