EVG reader Daniel Root shares these photos from Astor Place... where one of the 50 Sing of Hope pianos is in place through June 21...
Franck de las Mercedes designed the piano's art.
His statement:
This piano is a celebration of the people and the arts of New York City. Growing up here, I was exposed to the visual clash of graffiti, decaying walls, torn-up ads, and the effect that time and the elements had on surfaces. Bright colors are an essential element in the piano in order to depict the diversity and fast pace of the city. I incorporated collage work using my photographs sketches, journal pages and scribbles on pieces of scrap paper. The piano also includes a "piano chords" chart to invite non-musicians to play also. Hoping this interactive and participatory experience with the work can perhaps become gateway into music, the arts and learning an instrument.
As we understand, this song is the most popular here outside the IBM Watson Building/51 Astor Place.
I will vaporize the next cretin who plays Chopsticks.
ReplyDeleteOne feels Watson would really rather hear this:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGJJzyTx4_Q
Watson often thinks of that tune while gazing at the CitiBike stand across the street, using the hidden surveillance cameras we're not supposed to know it has.
I like the way the Death Star looks in closely cropped photos. It has zero personality of its own and reflect the other building with character.
ReplyDeleteDeath Star makes everything look terrible. It makes everything aroind it worse. There is no reseemong value to Death Star whatsoever. It sucks the soul out of all humans that come within 500 feet of it.
DeleteI was delighted to come out of the Astor Place subway today and see the street piano with a guy playing it. Makes me wish I'd practiced harder when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteI'm sad there's no piano in Tompkins this year; I realize there was none there last year either, but when there was a piano there a few years ago, I brought my sax out and played along; it was great.
There's a piano in the unnamed park I affectionately call "Rat Park" (due to the rats who routinely scurry all over it) bounded by Sixth Avenue, White Street, and Lispernard Street in TriBeCa.
ReplyDeleteI spent a good part of my childhood trying to deconstruct "post no bills." I thought a bill was a dollar and I could never understand why anybody would post one in the first place.
ReplyDelete"Post No Bills"
ReplyDeleteBills short for Playbills so no posting Playbills.
I'm surprised someone with money to burn hasn't posted dollar bills, tens, twenties etc. on random walls yet.
The piano is now by the uptown entrance to the 6 train. I really do miss the row birches that had been planted there.
ReplyDelete