Charles Ross Nears Completion of “Star Axis,” a Monumental Land Art Project Fifty Years in the Making

After five decades of construction in the high desert of eastern New Mexico, artist Charles Ross is finalizing “Star Axis,” a monumental earthwork designed to align human perception with the celestial movements of Polaris. Located on a mesa, the observatory-like structure represents one of the most ambitious and enduring projects within the Land art movement. According to the National Gallery of Art, which featured the project in a short film for the America250 series, the sculpture’s scale and ambition place it among the most significant works of its generation.

Engineering Celestial Time

The core of “Star Axis” is a 52-foot-tall pyramid constructed from concrete, stone, and steel, featuring an 11-story staircase that rises through a tunnel blasted into the Chupinas Mesa. The structure is built to track the 26,000-year cycle of the Earth’s rotational axis, known as precession. As visitors climb the 147 steps, they observe the position of Polaris—the current North Star—through a circular window that appears to change in scale, illustrating the vast shifts in the Earth’s alignment over millennia.

The project’s mathematical precision was developed in collaboration with astronomer Woodruff Sullivan. The site occupies approximately 400 acres, gifted to Ross by rancher W.O. Culbertson Jr. in the 1970s. Ross has funded the project primarily through his own art sales and the support of patrons, including the late New York gallerist Virginia Dwan. The Land Light Foundation, led by CEO Jamie Clements, now manages the site’s ongoing operations and fundraising efforts.

A Legacy of Land Art

Ross, now 88, is a contemporary of iconic Land artists such as Walter De Maria, Michael Heizer, and Robert Smithson. While many of his peers completed their major works decades ago—such as Smithson’s “Spiral Jetty” (1970) and De Maria’s “The Lightning Field” (1977)—the scale and remote nature of “Star Axis” necessitated a multi-generational construction timeline. Michael Govan, director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, notes that these works function not as traditional monuments, but as structures meant to highlight the “fragility of our own perception and experience” within the landscape.

Unlike some of his contemporaries who are represented by large, blue-chip galleries, Ross has maintained a lower profile in the commercial art world. His wife and collaborator, artist Jill O’Bryan, emphasizes that the project’s longevity is rooted in Ross’s commitment to the work’s integrity rather than personal fame. Despite its relative obscurity compared to celebrity-adjacent projects like James Turrell’s “Roden Crater,” Ross’s work is held in major collections, including the Smithsonian.

Future Access and Preservation

As construction concludes, the focus for the Land Light Foundation has shifted toward long-term maintenance and public access. The site includes an environmentally conscious concept house built by the Museum of Outdoor Arts in 2014 to accommodate small groups of visitors. Protecting the site from the harsh New Mexico climate, particularly monsoon-driven erosion, remains a primary objective for Ross and his team.

While state lawmakers in New Mexico have previously discussed the potential for state acquisition of the site, no formal agreement has been reached. For now, the project continues to operate as a private endeavor. Ross intends to spend the coming months finalizing drainage systems and site cleanup, marking the end of a 50-year building process that has remained, by design, an intimate dialogue between the artist and the cosmos.

Key Takeaways

• Project Scope: “Star Axis” is an 11-story observatory built into a mesa, designed to visualize the 26,000-year cycle of Earth’s axial precession.
• Construction Timeline: Initiated in 1975, the project has been under construction for 50 years, with completion expected by the winter.
• Collaborators: The project relies on the mathematical input of astronomer Woodruff Sullivan and the administrative support of the Land Light Foundation.
• Accessibility: Visiting is currently limited, with the Land Light Foundation coordinating small-group tours and sponsorship opportunities for the structure’s upkeep.