Robert Lobe: SUPERSTORM

Artist Robert Lobe’s metal sculpture of a tree that was torn out of the ground during Superstorm Sandy is currently on display in lower Manhattan at Duarte Square. Lobe recreated the tree using the repoussé technique, by hammering aluminum around the tree and corresponding boulder to capture their forms.

Although the original tree was found on the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey, the sculpture also serves as a memorial to remind pedestrians of the storm’s devastation in downtown Manhattan, where Lobe resides. The artist’s ability to capture both the tragedy and beauty of the felled tree also points to more current environmental issues related to climate change. The sculpture will remain on display until May 19, 2020.

Nicolas Holiber: Birds on Broadway, the Audubon Sculpture Project

Nicolas Holiber: Birds on Broadway displays ten oversized sculptures of New York City Birds that are endangered due to climate change all along the greenway between 64th and 157th Streets in Manhattan. Holiber crafted these sculptures entirely out of reclaimed lumber, to highlight the exhibition’s message about the urgency of environmental issues. Some of the featured birds include the American bittern, brant, common goldeneye, double-crested cormorant, and snowy owl. Pictured above are sculptures of the red-necked grebe, the peregrine falcon, and the American bittern.

Pieces of Poetry

Pieces of Poetry: a community mosaic celebration in Fort Greene Park is a celebration of Walt Whitman, Richard Wright, and Marianne Moore, three notable literary figures from Fort Greene. The mosaic depicts a bookshelf with the titles of the honored writers’ most famous works and is comprised of hundreds of glass shards collected from the park. Installed in the southwest wing of the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument Plaza, the artwork is designed by Brooklyn-based artist Courtney McCloskey, who collaborated on the piece with students from neighborhood schools, including P.S. 20; The Greene Hill School; Science, Language, & Arts International School; and Brooklyn Technical High School.

Behind The Walls

Standing at almost 25 feet tall, Jaume Plensa’s monumental sculpture Behind the Walls is currently on public display in the iconic Plaza of New York’s Rockefeller Center. Plensa is one of 14 internationally famous artists contributing their artwork to the inaugural Frieze Sculpture, a major public art initiative. Though Plensa hails from Spain, his many public artworks have been featured in various cities around the world such as Chicago and London. In regards to his sculpture, Plensa says, “Sometimes, our hands are the biggest walls. They can cover our eyes, and we can blind ourselves to so much of what’s happening around us… To me, it’s an obsession to create a beautiful object with a message inside.” The sculpture encourages its viewers to reflect on their own perspectives and actions as they relate to the world around them. Behind the Walls, along with the other public sculptures, will remain at Rockefeller Center until June 28, 2019.