Richard Serra, Iron Mountain Run, 2002 - South Kent, Connecticut (October, 2023)
Background
Iron Mountain Run is comprised of 7 weatherproof steel plates measuring 15’ x 15’ and are 3” thick along a hill in South Kent, CT. They are installed at seemingly random positions starting at the top and gradually sloping downwards to Irvings Pond. ‘From a certain angle they appear to be sliding headlong into a pond.’
The bovine residents of the farm often use the plates as shade (fun fact, other Serra pieces are even used for warmth by sheep as they can absorb heat from the sub throughout the day).
It is on private land owned by collector and philanthropist Agnes Gund. “I [Agnes Gund] once told Richard [Serra], ‘These pieces look tipsy, like they’re drunk!’ and I thought he would get mad,” Gund says, even though the two are longtime friends. “He said, ‘They do have humor.’ ”
Also it’s worth reading about Agnes “Aggie” Gund, she sounds incredible.
Travel / Experience
Iron Mountain Farm is located just west of Iron Mountain Reservation at 140 Geer Mountain Road, South Kent, CT 06785. It is about a 1.5-2 hour drive from New York City. There isn’t a public transportation option out there, so you’ll have to drive yourself. We drove from my parent’s home in Cos Cob.
We parked and viewed from the purple highlighted area on Hidden Hollow Road. You can see the shadows of Iron Mountain Run as they lead from the hill down to the pond.
The work is on private land so you cannot go up to it without permission. It isn’t very visible from Geer Mountain Road due to the topography, but there is a side road called Hidden Hollow Drive that is easy to park on and has a great view of the mountain, pond, and art piece. This road may technically be a driveway, as it only leads to one house at the end of it, but I’m sure it isn’t a big issue if you’re respectful and don’t trespass.
I’d recommend an SUV or driving with something with a bit of height that you can use as a ladder to get a better angle on it. You won’t spend too long here since you shouldn’t wander their property, but it does look like a lovely and beautiful place to picnic and spend some time. We parked on the side of Hidden Hollow Drive, and spent about 5 minutes just enjoying the view, fresh air, and quiet. My parents were quite amused and found it a fun excursion on an autumn weekend day. Certainly elevated with a bit of foliage, I’d suggest visiting during peak, and it would be even more beautiful.
Kent is in pink, Bantam in orange, and Iron Mountain Run in blue
Iron Mountain Run is located ten minutes southeast and twenty minutes west of the towns of Kent and Bantam respectively. Kent has a walkable downtown that’s worth a gander. We ate at Swyft, a fantastic casual restaurant, the affordable walk-in accepted sister of the fancier and pricier Ore Hill (in the same building). We showed up as a foursome for lunch on a Saturday and were sat immediately at the bar (despite there being no reservations available online). There was additional seating outside, but it was a bit too brisk to be comfortable for some people in our party.
Bantam isn’t walkable, but it has a couple other great food and drink options. We spent time in the area for my brother’s bachelor party earlier that year in May. Swing by the Litchfield Distillery for some of Connecticut’s finest liquor. I’m a huge advocate of them; my brother and I have matching baseball caps, I have a bottle of their whiskey as a staple in my home bar, and Mattos has gotten wasted on their Espresso Martini (premade small-batch cocktail bottle). For a great dinner try Materia or Arethusa al tavolo. Both are fantastic, the latter also has a casual cafe across the street.
Slightly different angle of the tumble.
Summary
It isn’t worth a separate trip as you can’t explore the property without trespassing on Aggie Gund’s land, and given her bio, she deserves our respect. Swing by and enjoy it from a distance if you happen to be in the area. Litchfield County has plenty of great food, walking trails, back country winding drives, and peaceful rolling vistas to make a nice weekend escape for city folk.
Sources
David Zwirner. "Richard Serra: Iron Mountain Run." David Zwirner. Accessed June 13, 2024. https://www.davidzwirner.com/artworks/richard-serra-iron-mountain-run-6bf32.
Smith, Roberta. "The Reinvented Visions of Richard Serra." The Wall Street Journal, November 4, 2015. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-reinvented-visions-of-richard-serra-1446687924.
Schuessler, Jennifer. "Agnes Gund, the Unapologetic Art Collector." The New York Times, November 3, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/03/style/agnes-gund-philanthropy.html.
