Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Mad-About-Art Square Park

Madison Sq. Park, under the Flatiron Building, is currently an oasis of public art. This week, United Technologies installed huge prints by Chuck Close, Mitch Epstein, and Dayanita Singh. Chuck Close presents daguerrotypes of immigrants, Mitch Epstein images of Boston, and Dayanita Singh black-and-white photos of Hartford. Ivan Chermayeff designed the installations. We still prefer last year's edition, with billboard paintings by Gary Hume, Alex Katz, and Lisa Sanditz. Although we're happy any time the public gets to see contemporary art, these photos aren't very challenging, and are kind of a bummer.














On the other hand, Ursula von Rydingsvard's monuments have been in the park for several months. "Damski Czepek" is like a craglike womb or big cave, translucent, cast in polyurethane resin. "Czara z Babelkami" is like a tower of Babel constructed from Jenga blocks, its bricklike units protruding out in various directions. (We wonder about the title and how it is pronounced. "Sara Zee?" "Sarah Sze?") UvR's sculptures combine architecture with a raw, pseudo-primitive approach - units stacked into a larger form - which is perfect for an urban park, where skyscrapers filled with suits and BlackBerry machines meet children running in grass.



Comments:
huh that's funny. I think Ursula taught at SVA when Sarah was there. "Bablekami" interesting. Maybe Ursuala feels like Sarah "babbled" her way into a MacArthur.


There are a couple of slight similarities in thier working processes. But if Ursula does feel . . . ripped off or what ever, or is expressing some angst, it seems misdirected. But in the end, it's probably just a coincidence.
 
ha ha. Guess that's more subtle than "Czara Z Suckdickkami." Just kidding, though - Sarah Sze is really awesome. Yeah, probably just a coincidence, but a Polish friend is translating it just in case...
 
"czara z babelkami means this special glass (kind of old fashioned, its what the king would drink his wine from) filled with bubbles." That's from a Polish friend. Like a goblet or something.
 
that's very funny and such an interesting coincidence.
 
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