The Lightning Field

work by De Maria

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July 21, 2026

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The Lightning Field is a land art installation by American artist Walter De Maria, created between 1971 and 1977. Located in the New Mexico desert, it consists of 400 stainless steel poles arranged in a grid. This work is designed to interact with natural lightning storms, a phenomenon common in the area. The installation is a significant example of land art, a movement that utilized the landscape as both a site and a medium for artistic creation. The Lightning Field is maintained by the Dia Art Foundation.12

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Dia Art Foundation
…such as Walter De Maria’s The Lightning Field (1977), a series of lightning rods arranged in a grid formation in the southwestern New Mexico desert. In addition, in 1983 Dia established the Dan Flavin Art Institute in Bridgehampton, New York, which serves as a permanent installation of the light-based works…
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…such as Walter De Maria’s The Lightning Field (1977), a series of lightning rods arranged in a grid formation in the southwestern New Mexico desert. In addition, in 1983 Dia established the Dan Flavin Art Institute in Bridgehampton, New York, which serves as a permanent installation of the light-based works…
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Western painting
Land art
…however, was Walter De Maria’s Lightning Field (1971–77), which was located in Quemado, New Mexico, and consisted of a grid of 400 stainless steel poles. Given that the area was noted for its high incidence of electrical storms, this massive work literally co-opted nature’s forces to produce its aesthetic effects.
Read More
…however, was Walter De Maria’s Lightning Field (1971–77), which was located in Quemado, New Mexico, and consisted of a grid of 400 stainless steel poles. Given that the area was noted for its high incidence of electrical storms, this massive work literally co-opted nature’s forces to produce its aesthetic effects.
Read More