The Unbearable Banishment: Outdoor art season hath sprung

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Outdoor art season hath sprung

I love when public space is used for outdoor exhibits and New York has an abundance of projects that pop up every spring and summer. They don't always work, but I'm always appreciative of the effort. In most cases, the exhibits simply cannot fit in a closed space. Many are site-specific and wouldn't work in an indoor setting. Here are a couple of recent examples. Thank you, Mayor Bloomberg and the New York Public Art Fund. More of the same, please!

This is Mr. Fun himself, Andy Warhol by Rob Pruitt.


I think the inspiration is Warhol's Mylar balloons. It stands at the north end of Union Square at 17th Street and Broadway.


It's outside the building where Warhol's Factory was. [I believe this was The Factory's second address. This is the location where he was shot by Valerie Solanas.] The building now has a Petco on the ground floor.


The Factory was located on the third floor. When Warhol moved The Factory here, Union Square was a den of gypsies, tramps and thieves. In addition to the Petco, Union Square now has a big Barnes & Noble and a busy McDonalds. I think he'd approve.

* * *

This beauty is Tornado, a commission by Berlin-based artist Michael Sailstorfer.


It's made from inflated truck tire inner tubes. That's Sailstorfer's medium. Inner tubes. I spoke to a couple of people and they weren't overly impressed but I really liked it.


It stands at the southeast corner of Central Park, near The Plaza Hotel and works nicely when you view it in concert with the trees. It really is kind of tornado-like. So clever.

* * *

I couldn't decide which of these shots of The Flatiron Building I liked best so I decided to post both of them. When it opened, The Flatiron Building was described glowingly as "a great battleship steaming up Broadway."


This is Mrs. Wife's favorite building in New York. Doesn't she have great taste?! They've taken a portion of Broadway in front of The Flatiron away from the taxis and traffic and turned it into public space. It's a fantastic place to sit and whittle away a few hours.

22 Comments:

Blogger Ponita in Real Life said...

I love the art photos you post!

What is on Andy's chest? A place for pigeons to roost?

I don't like the tire tornado. Although it does conjure feelings of omg, it's so big and dark and menacing, which I suppose a tornado is, so maybe it did its job?

I've never been to NY but I love that building too! Definitely looks like the prow of a huge and magnificent ship. I like both pics. :-)

March 20, 2012 at 10:13 AM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Andy is sporting an old Polaroid SX-70. Remember those? As for the Tornado sculpture, one friend told me it looked "dirty." Boy, is she in the wrong city.

March 20, 2012 at 10:17 AM  
Anonymous Daisyfae said...

Love the flatiron! Drinks there tonight?

March 20, 2012 at 10:29 AM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Daisy: Well, it's certainly nice enough out. We could do that. By the way, what's up with Wordpress? I can't leave comments over at your place. How will you manage without my witty banter?

March 20, 2012 at 11:25 AM  
Blogger Pat said...

Is Andy untarnishable?
Happy memories of drinks at the Plaza in the seventies - not mad on the tires but the flat iron is amazing.

March 20, 2012 at 12:50 PM  
Anonymous dinahmow said...

Mrs Wife does, indeed, have good taste. The Flat Iron and the Chrysler are tops.
Tornado? Ugly, menacing and realistic. Ask anyone who's seen a twister from a distance.

About Wordpress comment woes -
We pressers struggle to get onto Blogger sites. Is this a blog-war between the biggies? Apparently, if you have a Gravatar account it lets you in. Otherwise, if you know the Wordpress author, flick an email and ask the author to post your comment. Yeah, laborious, but it's all I've got!
Have fun, Mr. Tour Guide!

March 20, 2012 at 3:37 PM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Pat: I'm not sure what Andy is made of. Sugar and spice and everything nice? Slugs and snails and puppy dogs' tails?

dinah: Nobody seems to like the tornado! Perhaps if you saw it in person? I'm about to head out and begin my tour-guiding. Too bad I can't make a ton of cash like this.

March 20, 2012 at 4:45 PM  
Blogger mapstew said...

I love these. Next best thing to being there.

(You DO know i'm just going to show up on your doorstep one day and ask Mrs. Wife if M can come out to play?!) :¬)

March 20, 2012 at 5:29 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

UB, does this help with the commenting problem?

http://diaryofdaedalus.com/2012/03/15/tech-note-wordpress-com-changes-commenting-with-gravatars/

March 20, 2012 at 5:35 PM  
Blogger dinahmow said...

I *do* like the tornado art. But it's not pretty which is, perhaps, why others don't like it. It's realistic.
But you're right - I should see it in person!

March 21, 2012 at 5:48 AM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

map: Having you show up at my door would be a most welcome turn of events. I'll show you what's good about the city.

nurse: Thanks, but are you kidding me?! I have to go through all that to comment on Word Press? It's the small annoyances that kill a person.

dinah: It's pretty impressive to stand next to. It towers over you! And it's a good re-purposing of old material. Very green of him.

March 21, 2012 at 7:06 AM  
Anonymous looby said...

Not sure about the tyres - they seem to be fighting a bit with the trees. Maybe that's the point.

If you look carefully at this comment you'll see it's turning a little bit green with envy at the idea of drinks with DF in such a fabulous building.

March 21, 2012 at 7:34 AM  
Blogger Kono said...

I now live very close to where Andrew Warhola is buried, lucky me.

March 21, 2012 at 9:26 AM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

looby: You are right to be jealous. Daisy tells good stories over beers. Stuff you won't see on her blog.

kono: Actually, you are very lucky in that you live close to the Warhol museum. I've often thought about making a side-trip on my twice-yearly drives to Clevo. Have you been?

March 21, 2012 at 10:28 AM  
Blogger Ellie said...

Flatiron Building = also my favourite.

Then there is the iconic bridge in central park. Not sure which of the two I like better.

March 21, 2012 at 4:29 PM  
Anonymous andrea said...

I love the tire tornado and the Flatiron even more. We have a much less impressive one in Vancouver: http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2011/10/haunted-vancouver-hotel-europe/

March 21, 2012 at 5:06 PM  
Anonymous Dolce said...

I love the tires.

And just for the record (in relation to your previous post), I think you're one of the best fathers I know. I'd have given my eye teeth to sit in a darkened theatre with my dad. Even if we were in the gods. Dude, your time is worth more than anything else to your daughters. Anything. I promise you.

March 23, 2012 at 10:30 AM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Ellie: And where does the Chrysler Building fit into your schematic? There are too many choices out here!

andrea: Thanks for the link. I love that photo! Great perspective. Black and white was the way to go. A good choice by the photographer.

Dolce: Thanks for your kind words. I'm surrounded by wealth and privilege and I let it get under my skin too easily.

March 23, 2012 at 10:43 AM  
Blogger Kono said...

I've been to the Warhol a few times, the bring in great bands and great exhibits (Piet Mondrian was my favorite), i was never a huge fan of Andy, better businessman than artist but i'm glad it's here cuz it does bring in good stuff... like the Psychedelic Furs on April 6, haven't seen them since i was 16 at Blossom, just might have to splash out for that one.

March 23, 2012 at 11:15 AM  
Blogger The Unbearable Banishment said...

Kono: I saw the Furs at the Phantasy on Detroit Rd. in Lakewood! How do you like them apples? We are ancient and wise.

March 25, 2012 at 2:17 PM  
Anonymous Sid said...

I saw those tire tubes. Wasn't impressed at all.

March 28, 2012 at 8:12 AM  
Anonymous Julianneqime said...

We Came! We Saw! We Smiled! Las Vegas Philharmonic Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 The key factors of the popularity of these Austrian gold coins are:

November 13, 2012 at 8:57 PM  

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