Doors for Doris, a three-part sculpture in the southeast corner of Central Park, honors the late Doris Freedman, a leader in the field of public art in New York City and founder of the Public Art Fund. Brooklyn-based artist Sam Moyer built these structures with a combination of imported marble and locally-quarried stone. The various stones in the work come from New York City stone yards and construction projects, so each piece bears the marks of its originally intended use as a part of a building. In a city with an eminently recognizable skyline, the buildings are an intrinsic part of the city itself, so even the stones which did not originate here are deeply connected to New York. The composition of the stones reminds us of ancient monuments like Stonehenge, giving the work a sense of history and gravitas that seems fitting in this shady corner of the park. It also makes the sculpture feel a little bit magical, as though you could step through one of those stone doorways, “pivoted ajar to evoke the dynamism of the bustling city,” and find yourself transported somewhere unexpected.
Doors for Doris
