A child observing “Water Sources.”
Photo: Max Lakner/BFA.com.
On June 20, Storm King held their annual summer solstice celebration, which saw patrons flock to the lush hills of the outdoor sculpture center for dinner under the stars.
If you weren’t one of the few to enjoy the chic, open-air gathering—which boasted a menu and cocktails inspired by works of art—we recommend packing a picnic lunch and heading to the 500-acre property for a look at “Water Sources,” the summer exhibition by Lynda Benglis, as well as the impressive permanent collection of large-scale works by Mark di Suvero, Maya Lin, Ursula von Rydingsvard, Alexander Calder, and others.
“Water Sources” is a rare series of delicate and detailed stacked fountains, with water quietly pooling underneath their mushroom-like bases. It’s easy to forget you’re in a public space, and not the garden of a private estate.
The series has never been displayed together until now, and many of the sculptures are revamped editions of previous works. For example, Pink Ladies (For Asha), the much-photographed hit of the exhibition thanks to its shocking pink hue, was shown this year at Art Basel in Miami Beach. But that iteration only featured one of the cylindrical, flowery fountains, which now has two sisters to join it.
The unlikely source of inspiration for the rosy polyurethane columns was a single kite that Benglis saw with Indian fashion and textile designer Asha Sarabhai during a kite-flying festival in Ahmedabad, India. The color is also a nod to legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who once called pink “the navy blue of India.”
Be sure to stick around until after sunset to check out Hills and Clouds, which is set about a quarter of a mile away from the rest of the works and infused with phosphorescent dye that absorbs energy from the sun in order to emit a soft glow at night.
Benglis, whose work is also featured in permanent collection housed in the institution’s small indoor museum, has reportedly developed a love affair with the grounds.
“We were driving around the property in a golf cart, and [Lynda] turned to me and said ‘this is just so beautiful, I think I want to be buried here,'” president John Stern told artnet News.
Lynda Benglis, Bounty, Amber Waves, and Fruited Plane (2014). 25’7” x 24” x 24.”
Photo: Max Lakner/BFA.com.
Lynda Benglis, Pink Ladies (For Asha) (2014) 8’7” x 26” x 26” and 9’5” x 21” x 23.”
Photo: Max Lakner/BFA.com.
John Stern, Nora Lawrence, Nicholas Weist, and guests.
Photo: Noa Griffel/BFA.com.
Storm King Art Center.
Photo: Noa Griffel/BFA.com.
Photo: Max Lakner/BFA.com.
A close-up of Pink Ladies.
Photo: Max Lakner/BFA.com.
. Lynda Benglis, North South East West. 66” x 7’6” x 56.”
Photo: Max Lakner/BFA.com.
Lynda Benglis, Hills and Clouds (2014). 11” x 19” x 19.”
Photo: Courtesy Storm King.
“Lynda Benglis: Water Sources” will be on display at Storm King Art Center until November 8, 2015.