Lightning Field
| Lightning Fields New Mexico | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Collection | Redacted Remilio Babies |
| Category | Background |
| References | The Lightning Field (Walter De Maria, 1977); Quemado, New Mexico |
| Count | 143 |
| Rarity | 1.43% |
Lightning Fields New Mexico is a background trait in the Redacted Remilio Babies NFT collection, depicting The Lightning Field, a permanent land art installation by Walter De Maria located near Quemado, New Mexico.
Background
The Lightning Field is a permanent land art installation created by Walter De Maria in 1977 and maintained by the Dia Art Foundation in a remote high desert plateau near Quemado, New Mexico. The work consists of 400 polished stainless steel poles arranged in a rectangular grid measuring one mile by one kilometer across an uninhabited landscape. The poles are positioned to be level at their tips despite variations in the terrain, so that the grid plane floats above the uneven ground.
The work is experienced over a full twenty-four hour period; visitors must stay overnight in a small cabin on site and are transported to the location by Dia staff, who then leave them alone with the piece until the following day. The poles interact with light throughout the day, glowing at dawn and dusk, and occasionally attract lightning strikes during desert storms — though De Maria emphasized that the piece is not primarily about lightning, but about the relationship between the grid and the landscape. The Lightning Field is considered one of the defining works of land art and minimalist sculpture, and its extreme remoteness is integral to the experience.