If you’ve been in Madison Square Park lately — especially on the east side along Madison Avenue — it would be hard to miss the enormous Orange Fire Hydrant rising above the landscape near the children playground. At nearly 15 feet tall, the oversized sculpture immediately catches the eye, inviting smiles from everyone who can’t resist wondering what an ordinary piece of New York City infrastructure is doing transformed into a monumental work of art. Continue reading Roberto Lugo’s Para Los Días Caliente In Madison Square Park→
Before his passing in 2025, Joel Shapiro spent decades redefining what abstract sculpture could be. His monumental work Ark stands as a powerful example of that vision. At first glance, the sculpture appears to have been frozen in the middle of an explosion. Bold planes of red, blue, and yellow thrust outward at unexpected angles, balancing in a way that seems to defy gravity. Installed directly on the floor rather than elevated on a pedestal, the work encourages viewers to circle it and experience its constantly shifting presence. Depending on where you stand, it can suggest a vessel in motion, a collapsing structure, a child’s stack of oversized blocks, or even a figure striding through space. Continue reading Modern Art Monday Presents: Joel Shapiro, Ark→
Because the artwork changes only once every eighteen months or so, I never feel too lazy when it takes me six months to visit the latest monumental piece of public art exhibited on the High Line Plinth. I mean, it’s not going anywhere any time soon. The fourth High Line Plinth commission (I skipped covering the second one because it was so crappy), is by Colombian-born artist Iván Argote and it’s called Dinosaur (2024). Let’s take a closer look! Continue reading Dinosaur: Monumental Pigeon Statue on the High Line Plinth→
Since antiquity, nation states have used monumental figurative sculpture to convey authority, stability, glory, and heroism, thereby conferring status to ruling parties – whether dictators, monarchs, or democratically elected leaders. Continue reading Modern Art Monday Presents: Thomas Schütte, Vater Staat→
Well, it’s Black History Month, and to start the celebration let’s take a deep dive into a fabulous new exhibit by one of our favorite African American artists, Nick Cave! Through March 29th, Jack Shainman Gallery is hosting Amalgams and Graphts, an exhibition of new work by Cave, marking the inaugural presentation at the gallery’s new flagship Tribeca location. Amalgams and Graphts introduces two distinct series that push the artist’s singular style and vision to an epic realm, while maintaining an intimate and personal conversation with his audience. Continue reading Nick Cave’s Amalgams and Graphts at Jack Shainman Gallery Tribeca→
