Category: Public Art

On the bottom of a nondescript lamp post on a frequently traveled corner in Bay Ridge, lies a flat, small, multicolored pigeon made out of glass tiles, initialed with the letters “GB”. Around half a foot in length, a few inches in height, it’s almost proportionate to the familiar creatures that seem to litter themselves at nearly every turn in our city. It’s simple yet beautiful, cut with precision from nine individual pieces of vibrant glass, giving us the shape of this easily recognizable bird.

This uncomissioned piece is utterly captivating, and not only for the clear artistic skill required to create something of this nature. First, there is something endearing about capturing the essence of our ever present feathered friends. It’s high time we paid tribute to our fellow pigeons. New York City would not be the same without the estimable birds flapping their gloriously filthy wings high above us on rafters, or cooing jeeringly at one another down near our feet.  Our birds are tough and charmingly arrogant for their delicate size – often stepping over our shoes to peck at pieces of fallen grain – and if you’ve ever seen two of them contesting over a dropped piece of meat, it becomes plainly clear how they perfectly capture the energy of this city and its people. This subtle artwork pays appropriate homage to the pigeon, and captures the delightful energy they inspire.

Second, and more interesting, is the latent placement of the artwork. The mosaic is again, placed at the very bottom of a lamp post, fittingly at a level where pigeons of flesh and blood would themselves be. Most of us unfortunately, tend not to be as conscious of our surroundings as we would like to claim. I myself have little doubt that I ignored the unassuming artwork in the early days of its placement, but, having been there for at the least one to two years, I had assumed that most who frequent the neighborhood, especially this particular street, had taken stock of this lovely tribute. I was rather surprised upon learning that even several individuals in this class, who live or attended school in Bay Ridge, and for the sake of this entry shall remain nameless, were unaware of its existence. Perhaps this is intentional. We never pay the humble

 pigeon much mind, overtime growing accustomed to their presence. I do find that the obscurity of the piece adds another layer to it, both in depth, and in the simple pleasure of finding a secret, hidden object on an otherwise mundane morning

Upon some light research on the mosaic, I came to the wonderful discovery that the artist, anonymous and going

only by the initials mentioned above, has, and continues to place these pigeons all around the city, using only the Instagram page @gb_pigeon_nyc as his claim. While not much is known about the artist, perhaps his purpose with these pigeons is this: to add a dash of color on an otherwise bleak day, and put a smile on our face, and really, what better reason is there?

Nicolas Florimonte

“Masstransiscope”

Oct 22, 2018

Public art is all over the place, especially in New York. Although I see a lot of public art, there is only one piece that I have ever been interested in and seen other people be interested in; “Masstransiscope.” “Masstransiscope” is an animation made by Bill Brand that is located on the B and Q train line just past the Dekalb Avenue station going towards Manhattan. Brand worked with the MTA in the late 1970’s to make this piece (this was before the Arts for Transit program). The piece works like a zoetrope in that it has the paintings behind a wall with slits in it so that it creates the illusion of motion when the train moves past it. Behind the wall, there are lights to illuminate the paintings, so the piece is visible at any time of the day. However, the animation does not work if the train is moving slowly. Plus, although the piece is very visible, it is only on one side of the train and it goes by fast, so it is likely that anyone not paying attention will miss it. Brand actually liked the fact that most of the people on the train would miss it because that meant that it seemed more like a personal experience for those who did see it.

The animation itself depicts many moving shapes and images including folding shapes, a flying string that becomes a rocket taking off, and the construction of a person out of shapes, along with other things. The whole thing is very colorful and random in that it does not seem to tell a story of any kind. The piece seems like it was just made to be a fun experiment and does not have a central meaning or purpose beyond bringing some light and color to the dull subway tunnel.

I first saw “Masstransiscope” when I was a kid taking the train with my family to the city. I wasn’t paying attention, and I would have missed it if my step-father hadn’t pointed it out to me. My step-dad is a train operator and had taken that trip countless times, so he knew exactly where and when to look. Since then, my older brother and I have seen the piece plenty of times and we have shown it to my little brother as well. The piece does not speak to me or have any special meaning, the things about this piece that make it stand out to me are that it gives me something to look out for every time I ride the B or the Q past Dekalb, which is fairly often, and the nature of the animation. In terms of the animation, I find it interesting and cool that Brand thought to use the motion of the train to create something more than just a painting. I greatly enjoy this piece for both what it is and the creativity of the idea and I wish there were more pieces like it that I could see often.

Citation: Kennedy, Randy. “Restored Brooklyn Subway Art Offers Trip to 1970s.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 31 Dec. 2008, www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/arts/design/01zoet.html.

On the way to one of my weekly visits to the nail salon, I noticed a pop of color from a block away. Since it was surrounded by a dark setting with neutral tones, it made the entire block stand out. The large mural is situated on the corner of two walls on Avenue U between Lake Street and McDonald Avenue in Gravesend. Being that the art was not officially signed with the artist’s name, only after I’ve done extensive research have I found other artworks bearing the artist’s signature logo- “LOVE,” with a peace sign as the “O,” a heart as the “V,” and three horizontal lines as an “E.” He had originally tagged this specific wall with the words “Love Heals.” When the owner of the building announced to the Brooklyn Daily paper that he actually liked the graffiti, he basically gave the artist an open invitation to paint the entire wall. The artist took him up on the offer and even got a commission to paint a mural on the wall. The no longer anonymous artist, who now calls himself “The Real Mr. Love,” is John Westbay.

 Using only spray-paint, the mural features three panels that take up two walls. In order to see all three together, one would have to stand in the street by the corner. The first panel is a riff on the Beatles’ Abbey Road Cover with Keith Haring-like figures on the crosswalk. There is a posted speed limit of 25 MPH, a traffic light, and a stop sign all floating above the figures’ heads. The second figure is carrying a red heart and the words “Haring Road” are painted on the bottom corner. Westbay explains on his Instagram (@westgard) that he’s listening to the Beatles 61% of the time while painting and that he wishes he grew up with the Beatles instead of Justin Bieber. Also, the Beatles’ album mostly focuses on love, which is probably why Westbay included this specific cover on his artwork. The combination of two of his many inspirations, the Beatles and Keith Haring, are portrayed in this mural by switching up Abbey Road to “Haring Road.”

The second panel is a recreation of the Van Gogh Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat. By painting the ear dark pink, the artist purposely distinguished it from the rest of the portrait to bring attention to the fact that Van Gogh only had one ear. Perhaps Westbay included Van Gogh in his painting because Van Gogh had struggled to find love in his life. There is even a theory that Van Gogh cut off his ear after he heard that his brother was getting married. Van Gogh eventually gave up and turned to his requited love, art, where he succeeded immensely.

The third and final panel is the background for the entire artwork; it is an unusual female figure, with a face of a clock with no hands, wearing a tank-top that displays the artist’s signature word, “LOVE.” The colorful triangles in the background extend onto the next wall. Westbay explains on his instagram that these triangles are a “portrait of the inside of his brain,” representing the complexity and creativity of an artist’s mind. The female figure represents the idea that time is limitless when it comes to finding and being in love.

Being that the mural had been there for at least 10 years, it is seemingly meant to be permanent. In order to really focus on the detailing of the artwork, one would have to view it during the day. The artwork spreads positive messages of love and can also remind people to be aware when crossing the streets. This mural is truly a work of art that has many underlying themes.

Over the summer, I directed a summer camp on the Upper East Side. As I emerged from the dark tunnels of the Q train everyday, Chuck Close’s Subway Portraits were with me. They accompanied me on my walk through the station every morning, and I observed them. The 86th street Q train station was always the first place I returned to after a long day.

Chuck Close is known for his portraits of people. In this commission, he created mosaic portraits for the subway. Close typically paints from a projected photograph, and he draws a grid onto the canvas. He fills each square of the grid with a design, such as a swirl. These shapes make up the facial details of the people he captures. His style is reminiscent of mosaics, so it is only fitting that he was commissioned to create works which would be made into stained glass masterpieces for the subway.

The Subway Portraits are readily visible. In fact, they are impossible to miss. They are enormous in size and encompass the subway station. In 2017, the 86th street station was opened to the public with the portraits in place; they were part of a vision for the new second avenue subway. Their location in the subway is an essential part of their significance. In observing these faces, we witness the lives of a diverse array of people. Although we do not know their stories, their existence is brought to our attention.

The subway is filled to the brink with people. When we sit on a subway train, we take in the faces of many people. We are engulfed in life. When we come face to face with the subway art of Chuck Close, we experience intimacy with a person whom we have never met. We wonder about the stories of the people in his portraits, just as we would about the people who surround us on the subway.

Recently, Chuck Close was accused of sexual harassment, and he confirmed and apologized for these allegations. After learning this, my opinion of him shifted. When I see his work, I cannot help but think of the stories of the women who came forward. It is hard to not think about them, because his work revolves around the faces of others. Now when I walk through the subway, I am not just curious to hear the stories of the people he paints: I yearn to know them.

Now that I know more about Chuck Close as a person, I can’t help but reflect on this when I consume his art. For me, art that was once about the faces of people, becomes largely about the interaction between individuals. It reminds me of how important it is to listen to the stories of others. Both Chuck Close’s art and the subway cars that we ride present us with the faces of ordinary people. We should not simply acknowledge these faces. We are called to hear the stories of the people behind them.

For so many years, I have been passing this huge mural on Avenue U and East 18^th. Every time that I pass it, I am immediately drawn in by the bright blue sky depicted. However, once I turn and actually start looking at it, I remember that it’s not such a happy image. Majority of it shows the destruction and chaos of September 11^th, 2001, with a main focus on hope for a better future.

As I’ve gotten older, this artwork has become more and more meaningful to me as I have grown more mature and more able to understand what is depicted. However, I fear that the more time passes, the less likely we are to “never forget.” The newer generations may feel less and less connected to the event. I hope that this painting will last much longer and perhaps provide local children with something that brings this piece of history into their daily lives, and therefore connect them more to what happened as it has for me.

On the painting, we see all kinds of heroes working together to raise a damaged American flag. This can be seen as clear symbolism. The flag represents America, and the damage to it can be viewed as the devastation caused by the terrorism and loss of so many heroes who died on that day. The flag is being lifted up out of the wreckage to stand tall again just as America as a country is going to find a way to stay strong and move on while still remembering everyone and everything from that day.

At first glance, the bottom right portion of the image appears to display three people crying and holding hands to comfort one another. This would make sense as the painting is a tribute to so many lost lives. However, upon further inspection, it seems that they are actually covering their mouths and noses to protect themselves from inhaling the smoke or debris. This seems to emphasize the harm caused by the terrorists on 9/11 and how people are still being affected by the aftermath.

The mural was spray painted by artist, Joe Indart. He uses contrasting colors such as the bright blue sky and the dull gray demolished buildings. This will have the strongest impact on its viewers during the day in the sunlight. This way, the vibrant colors can be seen clearly, and all of the details, including the butterfly, and the rescue dog, are more pronounced.

This piece of public art also contains a quote from the national anthem, “Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.” This line is encouraging and motivational. Despite the terrorism that has occurred, we are still standing strong. We are still a nation that will work together to raise our flag. Ultimately the artist’s purpose in creating this mural is written clearly on the top right corner. We must “never forget” the lives lost, and what occurred on this tragic day.

This public artwork was sponsored by local businesses, mentioned on the bottom left corner, including a pork store, a pharmacy, and G.B. Cares, a local nonprofit group and is dedicated to all the lives lost on September 11^th, 2001.

As I walk home from school on a daily basis, I see the rainbow fire hydrant that is located on Avenue J between East 15th and 16th streets. The fire hydrant is situated right outside of the Avenue J subway station for the public to view. The painted fire hydrant is readily visible during daylight hours when I walk home from school. Yet, it is very hard to notice the detailing on the fire hydrant when it is dark outside. Seeing a brightly colored fire hydrant is a very big contrast to the other rusted fire hydrants that I pass on my walk. It always brightens my day to see art in the most unexpected place. The first couple of times I walked by, I didn’t notice it. I didn’t pay attention to the slightly unexpected twists in my surroundings. While walking on the other side of the street, I would have never noticed the fire hydrant. After walking right past it on the same side of the street for many days, I started to look around and notice things that I never noticed before. After about two weeks, the rainbow spray painted fire hydrant piqued my interest.

An anonymous artist used different colors of spray paint in order to create the rainbow themed fire hydrant and its adjacent poles. The fire hydrant has been there forever, yet it was only spray painted in the fall of 2015.  During the summer before it was spray painted, on June 26th, 2015, the United States Supreme Court legalized same sex marriage. By spray painting the fire hydrant as a rainbow, the gay pride flag colors, the anonymous artist is celebrating the court’s verdict in Obergefell vs. Hodges, the Supreme Court case that legalized same sex marriage. The artist is publicly making a statement about the recent victory in the court for couples of the same gender who are now able to get married.

The fire hydrant is a form of street art that was not commissioned by anyone. The artist chose to remain anonymous and not sign his initials anywhere near his work, perhaps because it is a form of vandalism. He used spray paint on an existing fire hydrant to create a dripping effect where the colors bleed into one another. This piece of public art is the size of an average fire hydrant, which makes it relatively small in comparison to its surroundings. Surprisingly, the spray paint has lasted for a while even if the artist only intended for it to be temporary. The artist created a permanent reminder for the public of the Supreme Court case Obergefell vs. Hodges and its effects on the gay population.

Despite the fact that spray painting a fire hydrant is illegal, the spray painted fire hydrant is still a unique site. Even if it is not a conventional form of art, the fire hydrant is still a pop of color on my walk home that never fails to brighten my surroundings.