The Southwest’s
Wildest Outdoor Art
From Lightning Fields to Sun Tunnels
Episode Description
A secret field that summons lightning. A massive spiral that disappears into a salt lake. A celestial observatory carved into a volcano. Meet the wild—and sometimes explosive—world of land art, where artists craft masterpieces with dynamite and bulldozers.
On this episode, guest Dylan Thuras, cofounder of Atlas Obscura, takes us off road and into the minds of the artists who literally reshaped parts of the Southwest. These works aren’t meant to be easy to reach—or to explain—but they just might change how you see the world.
Land art you’ll visit in this episode:
- Double Negative and City by Michael Heizer (Garden Valley, Nevada)
- Spiral Jetty by Robert Smithson (Great Salt Lake, Utah)
- Sun Tunnels by Nancy Holt (Great Basin Desert, Utah)
- Lightning Field by Walter De Maria (Catron County, New Mexico)
- Roden Crater by James Turrell (Painted Desert, Arizona)
Guest
Dylan Thuras is the cofounder and creative director of Atlas Obscura, the definitive online guide to the world’s most wondrous places. He’s the co-author of three New York Times bestsellers—Atlas Obscura, Gastro Obscura, and The Explorer’s Guide for The World’s Most Adventurous Kid—and host of the award-winning Atlas Obscura Podcast, which uncovers awe-inspiring sites near and far. When not chasing his curiosity around the globe, Dylan lives in New York’s Hudson Valley with his wife and two junior explorers.
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Visit these incredible pieces of art in the always inspiring Southwestern desert.
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Wander just a bit off the beaten path to discover cool places with guest podcast guest Dylan Thuras.
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