This statue is located at Midland Beach in Staten Island. The base of the statue looks like a hemisphere that has had the vertical direction reduced in size by about half. Protruding from the base, there are two separate cylindrical pillars, whose bases are comparable in size to large tree trunks, that wrap around each other almost like a DNA molecule. Although the bases of these two pillars are relatively large, as you look upwards, the width of each pillar decreases. These pillars hold up a life-size mimesis of a sea turtle, and the statue is designed to look like the pillars morph into two of the turtle’s flippers—one becoming the front left flipper, and the other becoming the rear right flipper. The turtle is tilted approximately 45 degrees so that its right side is higher than its left. The entire statue is around 10 feet tall, made out of rough metal, and, for the most part, takes on a mix of green and grey colors. On the bottom of the pillars, the color seems to resemble that of an old penny; this is most likely due to the fact that humans constantly touch it. Moreover, the base and pillars are decorated with many symbols of ocean life, including seashells, squids, fish, stingrays, and even fungus.

Of Kwon’s three paradigms of public art, this sculpture can be best categorized as art as a space. This statue displays a sea turtle, as well as a multitude of other sea creatures, and is located near the ocean—the natural habitat of these creatures. This makes it very clear that the sculptors had the location in mind when designing this statue. Around the fountain, there are sprinklers embedded in the ground that shoot water during the summer; this makes the statue a fun play area for small children. Also, this statue is oftentimes climbed on by kids; evidently, it is a very interactive sculpture. According to landscapeonline.com, the statue was funded by the former Staten Island Borough President, Guy V. Molinari, and was designed by the Parks design team, Jason Yu, Renata Sokolowski, and Mike Browne. Although the designers of the statue worked for the government and the funding came from a former politician, it doesn’t really have any effect on the purpose or the meaning of the sculpture as the statue isn’t intended to convey a political or social message.

 

 

This fountain is located at the start of the Staten Island boardwalk. The fountain is comprised of five separate levels of roughly equal height. Water pours from each layer down to the layer below almost like a waterfall. Each level contains only a very thin layer of water, excluding the final level where all the water is collected and stored to be recycled through the fountain through an automated system. Only the first and final levels contain flat surfaces. Every layer in between has an uneven surface that resembles a wave. There are several mosaic artworks on each level of the fountain that depict various creatures of the sea, including fish, sharks, seaweed, jellyfish, and much more. The color of the fountain is brownish-red and resembles the color of dry red clay. On the elevated boardwalk behind the fountain, there are 6 flagpoles arranged in a semicircle that each hoist older versions of the American flag. At the center of this semicircle is a 7th flagpole that hoists the current American flag, as well as a POW/MIA flag and two Parks Department flags.

This fountain can be categorized as art in a place. Although the mosaics represent sea life and the fountain is situated next to the ocean, that is the only connection that the fountain has with its location. The backdrop of the 7 flag poles seems out of place when looking at the fountain—they don’t share any connections or similarities. Additionally, this is just a waterfall fountain and can be placed in virtually any environment and still be appreciated just as much. Moreover, there is a sign in front of the fountain that forbids people from entering the fountain; therefore, it is not interactive. Knowledge of the artist that created the mosaics and the fountain is difficult to find and is not displayed anywhere near the fountain itself. The funding body is also not explicitly stated anywhere, but it can be assumed that the project was funded by the Parks Department as they are responsible for overseeing the development of the Staten Island boardwalk and beaches.

Although both of these works of public art are located near the ocean and contain symbols of sea life, they are very different from one another. One major difference between them is their relationship with the people that interact with each site. The waterfall fountain doesn’t permit entering and therefore people’s interactions with the site are limited to just viewing. The sea turtle fountain, however, is meant to be used as a play area and families often gather around the statue so their children can climb the statue together. This quality is what makes the sea turtle statue art as space; it connects the community by giving kids the opportunity to physically interact with art. During the summer, when the sprinklers at the sea turtle statue are activated, the site also serves another useful function to the community—it allows people to wash off after going to the beach. Although the water in the waterfall fountain flows year-round, it is too far away from the beach to serve this function, and, even if it was close enough, entering the fountain is forbidden. Evidently, the waterfall fountain isn’t meant to serve the community in the same meaningful ways that the sea turtle statue is, and, due to its lack of interactivity and functionality, is better categorized as art in a place.

Sources:
https://landscapeonline.com/research/article-a.php?number=7329