"Constructing the Ephemeral": Public Art and Architecture at the Center for Architecture

The Waterfalls: An example of highly-publicized temporary public art in New York. The Waterfalls, by Olafur Eliasson, proved to be one of the city's more disastrous projects. The salt water sprayed from what were called "glorified fountains" ended up killing trees by The River Cafe and on Governor's Island.New York is chock full of places that are deliberately manipulated to affect the viewers’ experiences. Museums, parks, galleries, restaurants, airports, train stations – the list goes on. Arguably fewer spaces are manipulated to enhance the viewers’ experiences. One who could argue against that assertion would be architect Jean Parker Phifer, AIA, whose recent book, Public Art New York, catalogs permanent public art installations across all five boroughs. In these public spaces, artists have been commissioned to create pieces to attract viewers and create an aesthetic that leaves a mark on an individual’s experience of the space, and therefore, inform their sense of place. Just last night, Phifer led a panel discussion at the Center for Architecture on public art and architecture in New York. Joining her were artist James Carpenter, architect Todd Schliemann of Polshek Partnership, and David Thurm, VP of Operations at The New York Times. The three were selected for their unique perspectives on the process of commissioning, designing, and installing public art in new buildings and spaces around the city.

Phifer introduced the panel and opened the evening with a presentation on exceptional pieces of public art around the city. While the attraction of pieces themselves was subject to individual taste, a set of themes in public art pieces emerged over the course of her talk. Public art in urban settings has a tendency to channel nature, either through mimicking natural forms or employing the use of natural elements such as light or water to create an ephemeral atmosphere. She also related art and architecture closely, suggesting that part of the goal of art in public spaces is to in fact mimic architecture – in essence, public art aims to have an emotional impact on space using physical materials in the same way architecture does. She expressed her hopes that the discussion that evening would focus on the collaboration between artists and architects in creating effective (and affecting) public art.

Search: Literature: The staircase at the Flushing location of Queens Borough Public Library, by Sheila Levrant De Bretteville.

Todd Schliemann spoke from the architect’s perspective. The Queens Borough Library was a project his firm worked on that commissioned three artists to produce three different pieces for the completed building. His perspective on the effect of the building’s minimalist aesthetic surprised me – he suggested that the minimalist glass façade was designed as a technique to make the building “accessible” to many different cultures. Because civic buildings are typically neoclassical works that channel Greek and Roman influences, and because the area of Flushing where the library was built is mostly Korean immigrants, the architect had a challenge to build a building that was not “intimidating” to other cultures. The public art serves as a way to reconcile the glaring differences between the library’s design and the surrounding urban fabric. The three artists commissioned to install pieces on the building site served in part as community liaisons, meeting with local art groups and exploring the surrounding area to get a sense of the cultures and values of the surrounding residents. The results, in my opinion, were mixed. One artist, whose piece is not featured in Phifer’s book, used granite that would face the rear wall of the building to carve a series of sculptures that represent cell division. Artist Sheila Levrant De Bretteville compiled a list of culturally and nationally significant works of literature from the many countries residents hailed from, and carved their titles into a staircase that leads into the building. She titled the piece “Search: Literature.” The staircase itself has been a successful installation because of its ability to double as seating – on nice days, many visitors relax there. In conjunction with the carvings, the first set of bookcases when you enter the library is stocked with the titles that are on the staircase, which both completes the art piece and invites residents into the space with an understanding that they are welcome (Phifer 230). Lining the exterior wall of the children’s reading room is a set of twenty-four panels of sandblasted glass created by artist Yong Soon Min. Within the panels are maps of Queens and the world juxtaposed with native flowers from all of the areas of the world from where Flushing residents hail. The piece is titled, appropriately enough, “World of Flowers.” When the light hits it from outside, the interior is lit with colorful shadows of the flowers (Phifer 230).

World of Flowers: Also at the Flushing location of the Queens Borough Public Library, by Yong Soon Min.

Schliemann’s presentation, which covered other projects such as the New York Hall of Science and the Western entrance of the Museum of Natural History, revealed certain elements to “successful” public art. As later presentations reinforced, pieces should be at once striking and subtle, such as “Search: Literature,” which is eye-catching because of its carvings (whether they are familiar to the viewer or not), but double as a functional piece of the building. The same goes for “World of Flowers,” which from the exterior does not read to the viewer without close inspection, but has an alarming effect inside the reading room.

Ice Falls: by James Carpenter.

James Carpenter followed Schliemann, with a presentation titled “Constructing the Ephemeral.” Carpenter’s most prominent work in New York is arguably the “Ice Falls” installation in the new Hearst building lobby, where recycled rainwater from the roof is piped down into the lobby and cascades over prism-shaped glass panels that descend three stories to the ground floor. His presentation started with an earlier work, however, called the Dichroic Light Field located uptown. The goal of the piece was to add depth and luminescence to an otherwise opaque wall. The building, originally designed to feature shops whose windows would face the street, ended up being leased to a movie theater, whose program calls for very little fenestration. Carpenter himself said that part of the aim of the project was to “cut into nonexistent space,” by aligning small panels of reflective material that would cast a variety of shadows throughout the day and, thanks to a special coating whose name I missed, changes color when light hits it from different angles. In this way, Carpenter’s work attempts to change people’s awareness of light on a day-to-day basis. The same technique of reflecting light was employed at the recently completed 7 World Trade Center building, where panels lining the first few stories gather ambient light from nearby surfaces, creating bars of light that reflect the movement of people on the street. His goal at 7 WTC was to create “volumes” of light.

7 WTC: by James Carpenter. Sculpture by Jeff Koons.

The final presentation, from The New York Times’ David Thurm, focused on a striking piece of public art in an equally striking building. “Moveable Type,” by Ben Rubin and Mark Hansen, is featured in the lobby of the New York Times building designed by architect Renzo Piano. The building’s design, not only on the ground floor but on the floors above as well, is intentionally open, inviting, and transparent. When standing on one end, the viewer can see through the lobby to the interior garden – planted with a grove of birch trees – and to the auditorium, whose rear glass wall doubles as one of the garden walls. On either wall of the lobby are a set of tiny screens programmed to show excerpts from both that day’s issue of the Times and the Times’ archive all the way to 1851. The programs, designed by Hansen in collaboration with Rubin, Renzo Piano, as well as the writers and editors of the Times, all relate to different themes. One theme the Times staff suggested was screening a series of crossword puzzles all at once, gradually filling in the answers. Thurm outlined the project’s criteria. They wanted visitors and staff alike to “know where they are and what we do,” and that it shouldn’t be “a generic building.” He repeatedly mentioned that the building ought to “feel like The New York Times.” The original idea for “Moveable Type” was to project the screens onto the adjacent garden wall, where they would scroll throughout the day according to a similar set of programs as is used in the final version. What does it mean, though, to have a space "feel" like a company? Branding and marketing has become so entrenched in our minds, bright signage and flashy advertisements no longer generate the appeal that used to move products. In building this building and installing this artwork, the Times has attempted to attract consumers and employees alike by creating attractive spaces.

Moveable Type: by Ben Rubin and Mark Hansen.

Following the presentations and panel discussion, the forum was opened up to the attendees. Equally abrasive, inquisitive, and genuinely interested in the work, the series of questions presented by the concerned citizens in attendance enhanced my understanding of the impact of public art on public spaces. One woman was concerned that not many of the presentations focused on “the human experience,” which she considered to be the primary function of public art. Another inquisitive gentleman asked, “If it’s commissioned by a client, is it ‘artful design’ or ‘art?’” A particularly feisty woman from Brooklyn claimed that the brownstone she grew up in “was a work of art,” and criticized the Queens Borough Public Library in Flushing for being out of context and not considerate of local artists. Someone else mentioned that some works of both public art and architecture are designed to conceal parts of the building for security reasons. For example, Carpenter’s work at 7WTC was designed in part to conceal the ConEd plant at the base of the building. He suggested that the utilitarian purpose of the piece in a way compromised the impact of the art.

One woman asked a question I intended to ask. Even though the topic of the panel was focused specifically on public art and architecture, I was curious to know what the panelists thought of less formal works of public art, or as the woman who asked put it, “public art by the public.” Phifer responded that, because of the mostly temporary nature of community-organized public art, it was not the major focus of either her book or the discussion that evening. While I understood her response, it raised a number of questions in my mind about the nature of public art as the reinterpretation of space: Why is informal, participatory public art relegated to a fleeting, impermanent existence? Why do more formal, privatized examples of public art become permanent fixtures in the urban landscape?

Mossy Tiles 2: by Poster Boy.

The answer lies in the inherent character of New York as a city: it is driven by commerce. Our fierce defense of the rights of property, in part due to the city’s density and the limited real estate, has shaped the way we create and understand different spaces in the city. In that way, public art on either end of the spectrum ends up being the most striking to the spectator. James Carpenter’s intricate “Ice Falls,” a masterwork of infrastructure, materials, and design, creates its own atmosphere thanks to its very formal, technical, and institutionally accepted elements. Other art, such as the recent work of vigilante subway artist Poster Boy, has the same effect not necessarily because of its mastery of technique or style, but because of its immediacy and exposure to literally millions of people on a daily basis. By employing drastically different methods (of design, of intention, and of participation), both Carpenter and Poster Boy create works of public art that alter the viewers’ understanding of the space.

Literal Pedestrian Street Art: by Peter Gibson.

The latter form of public art intrigues me, not for its informality, but for its reinterpretation of existing spaces. Public art as installed in new buildings is designed to work within the confines of the space. Other forms of public art, not often displayed in New York, put a spin on conventional understandings of existing spaces. Canadian artist Peter Gibson repainted sidewalks using a series of different stencils which he designed in response to the current “car culture.” His work is whimsical and often easy to interpret both on a functional and artistic level, but nonetheless have gotten him charged with 53 counts of mischief.

"Zebra Crosswalks": by Sentieri Urbani.

Sentieri Urbani, an Italian project run by two brothers, designs unique “zebra crossings” not unlike Peter Gibson’s work but with a less political, more aesthetically pleasing edge. Their work designing crosswalks in cities around Europe attempt to channel the unique character of each city. Nearby in Madrid, a Spanish design company named Luzinterruptus participated in a project to “rethink the usability of typically uninviting and hidden urban spaces.” By installing twelve small blue lamps paired with a different detective book in different neglected spaces such as inside scaffolding, by an emergency exit, in a bus stop, and in an out-of-order photo booth, the project was an “intervention” of sorts to promote adaptive reuse of public spaces in Madrid.

Acomódate y lee: by Luzinterruptus.

Perhaps my favorite work is with the help of the simple medium of sidewalk chalk. I stumbled upon this artist’s work in my own exploration of public art, and have yet to identify him or the city in which he works.

Dies Irae However, this image in particular reminded me of Auster’s City of Glass, and in turn made me think of Stillman’s daily strolls which ended up spelling “TOWER OF BABEL.” Could this act, the very act of being in and exploring urban streets, be considered a work of public art?

References:
Cukrov, Claudia. “Madrid Re-Thinks Their Urban Spaces,” PSFK.com, January 16, 2009. http://www.psfk.com/2009/01/madrid-re-thinks-their-urban-spaces.html

Luzinterruptus. “Accommodate y lee,” Luzinterruptus Blog, January 7, 2009. http://luzinterruptus1.blogspot.com/2009/01/acomdate-y-lee.html

Phifer, Jean Parker. Public Art New York. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2009.

Saleem, M. “The (Literal) ‘Street Art’ of Pedestrian Crosswalks,” WebUrbanist.com, November 14, 2008. http://weburbanist.com/2008/11/14/street-art-pedestrian-crosswalks/

Sentieri Urbani official website, http://www.sentieriurbani.com/sentieri_urbani_press.html.