This was a day about seeing space and form in a new way. I spent the day at Storm King Art Center in the Hudson Valley, a 500-acre open air museum full of dramatic spaces for viewing sculptures.

Often when we view art – the objects become the focus of our perception. At Storm King, our perception shifts and we are able to experience the objects as the frames and anchors for space. It works both ways: space clarifies form and form creates declinations that clarify space. There’s the space that surrounds and the space in between.

Here space isn’t negative or dead. Instead, it takes on a dynamic quality that enhances the viewer’s engagement with the sculptures. Space plays a variety of roles at times acting as a colorist, at times providing tension, at times anchoring our gaze, at times unsettling us.

This museum is a new favorite.

Alexander Calder, Five Swords

Isamu Noguchi, Momo Taro

Alyson Shotz, Mirror Fence

Andy Goldsworthy, Storm King Wall

Andy Goldsworthy, Storm King Wall

Alexander Calder, The Arch

Richard Serra, Schunnemunk Fork