Thursday, May 19, 2011

Public Art | NYC, East 50s

Yesterday evening we celebrated a feast for sight, hearing, touch, and taste as we sauntered from Eataly, having had our tasty glass of bubbly, to St. Peter’s church (for the ears), by way of Bloomingdale’s (the always-welcome touch of silk, diamonds, etc.).





But for the eyes, it was all sculpture, sculpture, sculpture. Created by the French artist Julien Marinetti, we once again couldn’t believe how superbly Doggy John XXL surveyed its domain in The New York Palace Courtyard. From the largest perspectives to the cave-man like etchings/scratchings? on its body, it stood firm keeping St. Patrick’s Cathedral in its sight.




From dogs to teddy bears, right there on Park Ave. Urs Fischer, New-York based Swiss artist, has plopped BIG ART, a big yellow sculpture, 35,000 pounds, right in front of the Seagram building. Where have we been? And what about that light? A reading lamp? A miner’s hat?



And check out these roses created by Will Ryman of Paul Kasmin Gallery in conjunction with the NY City Dept. of Parks and Recreation. We thought of it as “Petals on Park,” because our mind jumped to “pedals on Park” (more bicycles, less cars, please). 38 giant pink and red roses climb between three and 25 feet in height, dwarfing the neighboring streetlights and avenue traffic.


And finally, a lovely concert by the community-based Centre Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alex Guzman included works by Handel, Bach, and Saint-Saens. Playing with them on the church’s organ, built by Johannes Klais of Bonn, Germany, was world-renowned organist Michael Bower.