Art in the News: Rooftop Sculptures Have New Yorkers in a Panic

Antony Gormley

 NEW YORK, NY (AP).- New York City police have responded to 10 calls in the past few weeks from residents concerned that life-size body casts gazing down from buildings are real people preparing to jump. The work by Antony Gormley consists of 31 life-size figures of the artist cast in iron and glass fiber. The sculptures were installed on pathways, sidewalks and rooftops of buildings surrounding Madison Square Park for an exhibit called Event Horizon that began March 26. The NYPD had alerted the public to the exhibit so they would know the figures were not residents in distress and ready to jump.

Entire Times Online article here.

Celebrating African-American Artist Barkley Hendricks

There are only a few days left before February, which is Black History month, is over. On The Pagan Sphinx blog, we've celebrated writer and historian Zora Neale Hurston and now it's time for some African-American art. I present you with the fine work of American painter Barkley L. Hendricks.

 Barkley L. Hendricks

1945-

The painter Barkley L. Hendricks caught not only the mood, but also the dress of black Americans in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Indeed, the subhead of the Studio Museum’s exhibition, “Birth of the Cool,” gives the nod to the development of a style whose casual hipness and intimated militancy marked a generation of African Americans read the whole article here

The paintings below were featured in the exhibition Birth of the Cool at Studio Museum, 

Harlem, New York

Ruby Tuesday

Manhattan Billboard
July, 2008


Thank you to Work of The Poet for sponsoring Ruby Tuesday; a most inspiring photo meme.
And while you're there, say hello to The Teach, who makes it possible.

The Frick Collection - New York City

The Rehearsal
H.G. Edgar Degas
c. 1878-79

Officer and Laughing Girl
Johannes Vermeer

The Harbor of Dieppe
Joseph Mallord William Turner, 1775-1851

Symphony in Flesh Color and Pink: Portrait of Mrs. Frances Leyland. 1871-3
James McNeill Whistler

Hello from New York City!

Last night after a yummy Indian dinner, W.P. and I went walking around the iconic Times Square. Crazy, commercialized American frenzy at its best. I love it once every couple of years, which is how often I've been visiting NYC in recent years.

After purchasing a big memory card for my new camera, I went about snapping silly photos all day. From the cab, walking down 5th and Madison Avenues, from the window of a cafe', along a sidewalk carpeted with people.

W.P. had only a meeting from 9:00 a.m. to noon and we had planned to go to MoMA together. He's never actually had the time to visit there on other business trips and was quite looking forward to it. Neither of us thought to look up the schedule and voila - the sign said Closed on Tuesdays. I then remembered a post by a blogger I don't know very well but whose comments I am always glad to read on other blogs - Grandmere Mimi. A few months back, Mimi posted about a visit she made to the Frick Collection, a smaller art museum in New York - located between Madison and 5th Avenues. After reading Mimi's post, I vowed to check it out the next time I was in NYC. As the MoMA was closed today, I immediately exclaimed - "The Frick!" and off we went.

I haven't yet digested everything I saw there but right off, the Whistlers held me most captive while there and still, now, as I think about the many incredible works of art I saw there. Apparently, Mr. Frick was not overly fond of American artists, so it is fortunate that he admired Whistler and acquired several incredible portraits and landscapes for the collection. Perhaps because Whistler was American-born but lived mostly in England. Other works included those of John Constable, William Turner, Claude Monet, Renoir, Manet, Degas and three irresistible paintings of Vermeer.

The museum was rather packed but probably nothing like what MoMA will be like tomorrow. I regret that W.P. will be tied up with work all day tomorrow and Thursday and may not be able to join me until after closing time.

The bright side of this is that I can take my time; savor each artwork I crave; return to those I love most and those I understand least. Like a little kid on the eve of the first day of school - I will have trouble sleeping.