2026-27 Capstone

Where Science, Mathematics and Art Meet: Star Axis

An 88 year old man, Charles Ross, a leader in his field, welcomes New York Times journalist Travis Diehl into his 50 year in the making land art project, Star Axis. Charles Ross designed Star Axis with input from astronomy and physics experts, though he has a degree in math. Ross projects the project will be complete by this winter; however, he also said the same in 2002.

The Visit

A man with silver hair sits on an angled bench, surrounded by thick stone walls. — Charles Ross/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; Photograph by Brad Trone for The New York Times

"On the afternoon I arrived, O’Bryan oriented me to the site. When we reached the viewing chamber at the top of the stairs, her husband was waiting on an angled bench built into the walls. I took a seat on another 'You’re leaning against the angle of the sun on the equinox,' O’Bryan said. It was pretty comfortable. Ross started humming. The low tone reverberated around the hard, sharp room." (Diehl & Trone, 2026)

A man with a bright blue denim shirt in the entrance to an enclosed stairway leading to a window. — Charles Ross/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; Photograph by Brad Trone for The New York Times

"While Ross’s attention to detail is often stunning, he’s more interested in conveying a bodily impression of cosmic time. My encounter was certainly more esoteric than scientific." (Diehl & Trone, 2026)

A long-exposure photograph looking up through a curved aperture in an observatory shows the path of stars as the Earth rotates. — Charles Ross/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York; Photograph by Brad Trone for The New York Times

"I’m not sure I traveled through time, beyond the normal rate. But I felt focused and present. Rather than leave my body behind, I felt grounded within the epochal cycles of the stars, and the 50-year arc of one man’s stellar devotion." (Diehl & Trone, 2026)

Reflection

This experience must have been so unique for the journalist, with such a mysterious man in front of him and an equally ethereal "sculpture" enveloping him underneath a crystal clear night sky.

While the effects of what he witnessed may not be replicable, the mysticism, presence, contemplation, and feeling of awe may be possible to recreate in another form.

References

Diehl, T., & Trone, B. (2026, July 22). He’s the Last Great Land Artist You’ve Never Heard Of. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/22/arts/design/charles-ross-star-axis-land-art.html

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