Thursday, May 9, 2013

[Updated] Proposal to place a 'silhouette of a community member' in Tompkins Square Park

Here's an interesting item on tonight's CB3 Parks, Recreation, Cultural Affairs, Landmarks, & Waterfront Committee docket:

• Proposed silhouette of a Tompkins Square Park community member to be located along a pathway on the east side of Tompkins Square Park from June to November 2013

There's a PDF with the following image...



There's no other information currently available ... we have the usual questions, such as who and why.

Anyway, we looking forward to hearing more about the proposal.

Hopefully it will last longer than the last installation in Tompkins Square Park...

[July 2011]

Walk Man lasted three days. Artist Scott Taylor removed the sculpture after someone (or thing!) rammed it and knocked it over, as DNAinfo reported.

The committee meeting tonight is at 6:30 — BRC Senior Services Center, 30 Delancey St. between Chrystie and Forsyth.

Updated 2:30

Serena Solomon at DNAinfo has more about this project, which is in honor of Christopher Gamble, who was homeless for 28 years.

A life-sized sculpture of his silhouette is currently being created by French artist Fanny Allié to be installed at Tompkins Square Park, a place where Gamble spent many days and nights.

And!

The sculpture will consist of a metal outline of Gamble, according to Allié.

"I like it because it has some hope. It's a positive," the artist said, of the silhouette's open stance with arms outstretch to the sky, like “he is about to fly."

Gamble now lives in an apartment run by the Bowery Residents' Committee.

Read the whole article here.

11 comments:

Mark Hand The Catchman said...

Why is the silhouette white?

blue glass said...

why not?

Roger_Paw said...

He's looking up at a Red-tailed Hawk visiting the park. :)

Gojira said...

I would only be in favor of the thing if it depicted LES Jewels. Otherwise - BO-ring.

Anonymous said...

Most of the real people are gone.

Anonymous said...

"The White Businessman Ponders Condo Development Right Here."

rob said...

Anyone remember the totem in the Slavic corner of the park? That thing was beautiful, communal, interesting and distinctive of the park. If anyone tried it today, they'd be arrested and fined. Instead we get bureaucratic art by committee funded from above. To call it "a community member" is comic irony. It's the art of non community. It says, every inch of your space -- even public space --is owned and operated from afar. Nothing is yours.

DrBOP said...

Looks to me like he's under arrest, handcuffed, and the cop's got his billy club up under the chin "soliciting" info on the perp's buddies.....

......but, of couse, that would never happen in the park, right?

Ari said...

I believe that is the same artist, Antony Gormley, that did installations around Madison Square Park. Here is a link to his site:

http://www.antonygormley.com/sculpture/item-view/id/281#p19

Notice the similar posture.

Here is a link explaining his project in Madison Square Park.

Curious to see how this would play out in a smaller park such as Tompkins Square Park.

Anonymous said...

Hahahah, DrBOP, brilliant!

Anonymous said...

Signifies the new residents of the neighborhood - soulless, heartless, brainless, hollow, shallow, transparent.