From The Lightning Field, 1977, to The 2000 Sculpture of 1992, Walter De Maria was a dynamic artist whose work seemed to cover many bases including earthworks, Conceptualism, and Minimal pursuits; often executed in a strikingly large scale. Despite the overwhelming size of his prominent explorations, Mr. De Maria was something of a recluse in his personal life, and did not readily expose himself despite indisputably being one of the most influential artists of the era. His work often embraced the form of selected environments and it’s inherent space, accenting the harmony of the meticulously placed object within the setting where it is installed. Using simplistic forms, he was able to elicit complex conversations including those of viewer relationships to perception and the importance of one’s positioning in relation to the object.
According to his studio director, Mr. De Maria had passed away in his sleep, possibly due to a recurring stroke, on Thursday, July 25th. He is survived by his 100 year old mother and his brother, Terry. This soft spoken art giant always let his art do the talking. Now that he has permanently moved on we are left where we always were in relation to his work: in a perpetual state of awe, entrusted to continue the conversation in his absence.
