Walk on Waves!

Yes, you heard me correctly: Only an hour outside of New York City, you can strut your stuff among sea swells.

OK, I should clarify one thing: The sea swells I mentioned are exactly like the ones you would find in the middle of the ocean, except for the fact that they are made out of gravel, earth, and grass instead of water. 

Now, I know you are kind of bummed because you thought I was going to reveal the new walking-on-water technology I’ve been creating in my spare time, but these earthen waves would be a great day-trip destination all the same.

Here’s the scoop: Environmental artist Maya Lin, whose work is currently on display here in DC, has transformed a boring, old gravel pit into four acres of undulating green, grassy waves at the Storm King Art Center in New York’s Hudson Valley. 

The work itself is beautiful (see photo), but the most interesting part of the endeavor, in my opinion, is Lin’s methodology. Not only did the artist study fluid dynamics and use sophisticated technology to recreate (to a tee) the scale and pacing of mid-sea waves, she also meticulously calculated the carbon footprint of the construction and plans to offset the emissions by planting 260 indigenous trees in the area. Lin was also very particular about the materials used to build the Wavefield. The underlying structure is made up of gravel from the site, and the grasses covering the waves are native to the area and will require minimal watering. 

The new Wavefield is a great reason to head out to Storm King this summer, but once you arrive, you’ll find plenty of reasons to stay a while: the 500-acre sculpture park boasts beautiful landscapes and works by Henry Moore, David Smith, and Alice Aycock, to name a few.

Storm King is open Wednesday-Sunday, April 1 to November 15.

Photo taken by Jerry L. Thompson, courtesy of www.stormkingartcenter.com