Walter De Maria (b. 1935). Left to right: Triangle, Circle, Square, 1972. Brushed stainless steel; triangle 9.2 x 100.3 x 115.9 cm; circle 9.2 x 100 x 100 cm; square 9.5 x 100 x 100 cm. The Menil Collection, Houston. Photo: Hickey-Robertson, Houston. © 1972 Walter De Maria

The 1960s were a time of vital spiritual ferment in the United States. For many American artists the influence of Asian ideas was channeled toward creating Zen-inspired art forms that could transform human consciousness. By interpreting Asian art and religious thought they sought to create works that would be objects of concentrated contemplation that could alter public consciousness and hold social, spiritual, or Utopian potential.

The philosopher D.T. Suzuki, who lectured at Columbia University, was influential in disseminating Zen ideas including a love for what is spontaneous and irregular, a passion for simplicity, sensitivity to nature, a preference for intuition and feeling over knowledge, and self-discipline and directness of perception and action. These ideas spread to artists on both the East and West coasts of the U.S.

Suzuki often cited the work of Japanese Zen monk Sengai Gibon (1750–1837), whose painting Circle, Triangle, and Square he saw as the embodiment of the universe. Suzuki interpreted Sengai’s three fundamental forms as geometries of formlessness and infinity, which underscored his own view of emptiness as the essence of Zen enlightenment. This scroll has fascinated people ever since. Rather than a single level of black or gray, the ink tones keep changing. The forms overlap just a bit, suggesting interconnections between these fundamental shapes.

Walter De Maria’s (b. 1935) Triangle, Circle, Square quotes from Sengai’s famous 18th-century Buddhist painting. His early work of the 1960s, including music, performance, and writing as well as sculptural and conceptual works, was impacted by his exposure to Zen-informed thinking. De Maria developed an interest in task-oriented, game-like projects that resulted in viewer-interactive sculptures. De Maria started making pieces in metal in 1965, creating small-scale, polished-aluminum floor sculptures in shapes that possess significant iconic impact. In addition to these geometric forms he also produced a cross, six-pointed star, and swastika. The hollow interiors of the sculptures form narrow channels containing metal spheres. Like elegant, elementary game boards, these works each contain a ball the artist added, he said, “to disturb the purity of the symbol.”

Although De Maria’s works have been labeled Minimalist because of their use of simple geometric and repeating forms, their intention is complex. They seek to provoke close observation and sustained thought. De Maria has said, “Every good work should have at least ten meanings.”

• In the classroom, project Circle, Triangle, and Square by Sengai Gibon for two seconds and then turn the projector off. Ask students to write down everything they noticed about the work. Then turn the projector on again and ask students to look at the work for two minutes, and then create a new list of all that they noticed. Compare the first and second lists. What new things did students notice in the second viewing?
• Zen Masters often paint a circle, and from their inscriptions we know that it can mean the universe, the void, the moon, or even a rice cake. Circle, Triangle, and Square does not bear an inscription, only Sengai’s elaborate signature. Sengai’s painting may have symbolic meaning or be just what it is: a circle, a triangle, and a square. What do you think this painting might mean?
• Compare Sengai’s painting to De Maria’s metal sculptures. In what ways are they similar? How are they different? What might De Maria be expressing by referring to a work by a Japanese monk that was created more than two centuries ago?

• De Maria has said, “Every good work should have at least ten meanings.” Work with a partner to come up with at least ten possible meanings for De Maria’s sculptures. Then share your list with your classmates.
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• De Maria created other works that reference Zen philosophy. In the early 1960s he began a series he called “invisible drawings.” He experimented with creating drawings with the lightest of pencil lines that hovered on the threshold of visibility. He was interested in the idea of the drawing and how the viewers’ senses would intensify if they weren’t sure if the drawing was there or not. He said, “It wasn’t necessary to have a big fistful of India ink and brushes and it wasn’t necessary to have a thousand colors.” Create your own (almost) invisible drawings. Experiment with the point at which your drawing becomes perceptible.
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• In 1977 De Maria completed his best-known work, The Lightning Field. Located in a remote area of western New Mexico, it comprises 400 polished stainless steel poles, averaging 20 feet and 7 1/2 inches in height, installed in a grid measuring one mile by one kilometer. After looking at the Web site, discuss how De Maria’s approach to creating art is manifested in this ambitious work.
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• Through the ages and across cultures, geometric forms have been used to convey symbolic meaning. Research some of the possible meanings that circles, squares, and triangles may denote. Then use one or more of these essential forms in your own work to suggest a meaning beyond the shape itself.
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