Walter de Maria, Minimalist Pioneer and Creator of The Lightning Field, Dies at 77

Walter de Maria, renowned sculptor and composer famous for his iconic piece The Lightning Field, has died, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. He played a pivotal role in the early minimalist movement. One of his most notable works, The Lightning Field, was finished in 1977 and features four hundred stainless steel posts meticulously arranged in a grid over a mile by a kilometer in New Mexico. His last creation, Apollo’s Ecstasy, completed in 1990, comprised over twenty bronze poles positioned horizontally. This installation was part of Massimiliano Gioni's The Encyclopedic Palace exhibition at this year’s Venice Biennale, where Gioni praised De Maria’s art for its celebration of geometric purity and intricate numerological foundations, showcasing boundless imaginative potential.