Nadejda Dimitrova – Blog #2

Passage in Time by Malcolm Cochran is a grand work of art in Manhattan, New York. It is an 8’6’’ by 30’ wine bottle lying on its side at the end of Clinton Grove Park on 56^th Street overlooking the Hudson River. It is made of carbon steel with thermal-sprayed zinc and bronze with a traditional green patina. While the structure was completed in 2005, its inspiration dates back to the 1930s when the cruise ship The Queen Mary would sail across the Atlantic Ocean, for inside the wine bottle is a recreation of the liner’s stateroom. The replica furniture is made from sheet metal and other materials that are all very metallic and smooth. The furniture includes a bed, table, chair, stove, toilet and two sinks. This silver décor makes the space look like a set from a movie of the silver screen. So the room of the inside is just as vintage as the wine bottle of the outside. On the other hand, while the inside is preserved, the outside is worn-looking. This shows how memories can stand the test of time. Spectators of this tangible art are sent into the past by looking through the portholes on all sides of the aged-looking bottle to view the room within. The historical aspect of this work of art makes it site-specific because it remembers a different time for the area on the waterfront – when The Queen Mary would make its stop in New York City after coming back from France. It is a message in a bottle, literally, that says to remember the events of the past. This idea is important and that’s why this work of public art was sponsored by Hudson River Park Trust of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Now the people and visitors of the city have an interesting work of art that doubles as a mini museum in the park along the river to view and enjoy for years to come.