Danielle Mastrions, Riegelmann Boardwalk (Coney Island).

The ocean is beauty incarnate. It’s mysterious, captivating, and breathtaking. Yet, many often defile and wound it. Danielle Mastrions mural, on Riegelmann Boardwalk (Coney Island), represents this paradoxical relationship. The artwork was commissioned by the New York Aquarium and its purpose was to convey the effect of waste on animal life.

The mural is relatively large and is painted on the side of a building wall. The first half of the mural is of the front of a fish. The fish’s head is a blend of pink and orange. Furthermore, black stripes run vertically across its face, similar to the white stripes of a popular clownfish known to be Nemo. Close to the face are the fish’s dorsal and pectoral fins. The dorsal fins go from a blend between pink and orange to purely orange. Whereas the pectoral fins are a rich pink color. Moving further along are the vibrant and magnificent scales. They are almost like a rainbow as the colors transition from pink to purple, to a dark blue. The scales end at the center of the mural. Then a transition to the anatomy of the fish begins. The fish’s insides are filled with plastic. From bottles to random debris, the refuse is overwhelming. Some of the fish’s fin rays pierce through the plastic, barely sticking out. Continuing on to the end of the mural, the lower vertebrate and caudal fin are the only things that remain. Panning from left to right, you see a transition from beauty and awe to absolute horror and sadness. Much like the ocean, the fish is defiled and wounded. 

Around the fish are names of others creatures (Dolphins, Sea Turtles, Sea Birds, & Whales) enduring a similar fate. There are also water bubbles — that are scattered around the fish — with text inside. Some of the text contains actions people can take to prevent a similar tragedies that the fish suffered through, for example one bubble says “Recycle all plastic waste.” Other bubbles offer information, another says “A single plastic bag can take 1,000 years to degrade.” This mural fits the “new genre public art” paradigm that Miwon Kwon discusses in One Place after Another: Site Specific Art and Locational Identity. It was created to shed light on the social issue of littering. The mural is integral to the site as its on a boardwalk right next to the beach. The issue it highlights directly affects the surrounding environment and the life of innocent animals near beaches/bodies of water. The artwork also interacts with people passing through the site in a vital way. Firstly, anyone strolling through the boardwalk cannot simply ignore a mural of this magnitude. Additionally, the mural represents the harsh reality of what happens when individuals litter. The waste gets carried out into the ocean and is mistakenly consumed by aquatic and animal life. This leads to fatality or a slow and gruesome death. The artist’s identity doesn’t really matter in this mural. However, the funding body known as the New York Aquarium matters a great deal. The aquarium contains and takes care of a plethora of aquatic life, of course it will be concerned for the wellbeing of it in the ocean. Its involvement in the creation of the mural is justified, as they are trying to raise awareness about the harm of littering. 

Dan George, Brighton Beach Train Station.

A couple of minutes away from the mural is the Brighton Beach train station. The Manhattan bound side of the station is home to aluminum sculptures dispersed on the platform. The sculptures were created by Dan George and were commissioned by the MTA. The sculptures are abstract in nature but one can make them out to be dolphins. The shape of dolphins body are carved into the aluminum. The fins are relatively outlined but the body is relatively metaphysical. The sculptures have a supple appearance similar to the aluminum material that they are made of. The obvious purpose of the sculptures is to intrigue individuals, but due to the busy lifestyle of an average commuter many may see the piece as a decorative attachment on a dull subway platform. Contrary to the mural, the sculptures fit the “art as space” paradigm discussed by Miwon Kwon. The sculptures are abstract and modernist. They seem to serve no other purpose than just being plainly decorative. Though the art work is close to the ocean, it doesn’t have the same compelling connection that the mural did. Dolphins do reside in the ocean but they are rarely seen in Brighton Beach. Additionally, commuters rarely interact with the sculptures as their plain and abstract nature isn’t often understood or appreciated.

Dan George, Brighton Beach Train Station.

The mural on Riegelmann Boardwalk and the sculptures on the Brighton Beach train station both take inspiration from the surrounding site. Yet they are essentially the antithesis of one another. The mural is lively and colorful and the sculptures are dull and gray. One has a strong message of preventing littering and harm to animal life. But the other is just viewed as a decorative piece on a dirty subway platform. One engages the community, as its sheer size draws the individual to the captivating message being portrayed. And the other is often brushed off as its abstract meaning isn’t understood or appreciated. Although, the two works of art are mere minutes away from each other, but only one seems to capture the people’s eyes and attention.