Hank Willis Thomas, ‘I AM MANY’ at Jack Shainman Gallery

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A small bronze sculpture of two open hands, palms upward, in Hank Willis Thomas’ show at Jack Shainman Gallery is physically small but conceptually huge.  Last week, Davidson College in North Carolina dedicated a monumental, site-specific version of the sculpture by Thomas as a memorial to the enslaved individuals who labored on and built the institution in the 19th century.  Other standout works in the show include quilt-like textile pieces featuring US flags and prison uniforms that suggest that the carceral state has become part of the fabric of the nation and screenprinted retroflective vinyl panels which reveal hidden images of protesters from various points in US history.  (On view in Tribeca through Nov 1st).

In the foreground, a bronze sculpture of two open hands emerging from a reflective surface.
Hank Willis Thomas, With These Hands, patina and polished bronze, 8 ½ x 18 x 24inches, 2025.

Allison Katz, ‘Don’t ASK’ on the High Line

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Titled ‘Don’t’ Ask,’ painter Allison Katz’s 10th Ave High Line billboard poses nothing but unanswered questions. Not only do we not find out why the chicken crossed the road, we might now wonder if the rooster was being followed, and why and what the bold double-yellow, do-not-cross road markings might mean in the relationship drama between rooster and hen.  In the midst of Chelsea’s busy built environment, the billboard’s closeup on the visually pared-down scenario of birds and road acts like a giant magnifying glass, zooming in on what might be a curious happenstance or an element in a deeper narrative.  Graphically bold and suggesting comedy, Katz’s set up is an enjoyable launching point for conversation or imagination. (through August in Chelsea).

Allison Katz, installation of ‘Don’t Ask’ at 18th Street and 10th Ave, July 2025.

Cannupa Hanska Luger at City Hall Park

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Near a text describing City Hall Park as the ‘refuge of the people, the cradle of liberty,’ Native American artist Cannupa Hanska Luger’s steel sculpture of a bison skeleton recalls the deliberate mass slaughter of the animal from the mid-to-late 19th century.  Part of the Public Art Fund’s annual art programming in the park, the solitary sculpture is smaller than past installations but meaningfully and impactfully placed at the park’s dramatic southern entrance.   Titled ‘Attrition,’ the piece speaks to sustained attack on the lives and culture of Native American peoples by the near eradication of bison, yet the bison skeleton’s mechanical, plated design and obviously durable material conveys strength and resilience. (On view through Nov 17th.)

Cannupa Hanska Luger, Attrition, cast steel, 2024.
Cannupa Hanska Luger, Attrition, cast steel, 2024.

Gabriel Chaile on the High Line

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Inspired by pre-Columbian ceramics in his native country of Argentina, Gabriel Chaile’s High Line sculpture ‘The Wind Blows Where it Wishes’ turns a vessel-shape into a living form with a delicate face positioned both front and back on the neck.  Made from steel and adobe, the sculpture recalls ancient handcrafting processes while being protected and animated by an undulating ribbon of dark metal which ends at the front in two small hands holding a tube-like instrument.  Towering yet humble, an object yet miraculously living, Chaile’s enchanting sculpture uniquely engages the park’s visitors.  (On view on the High Line over 24th Street through April ’24).

Gabriel Chaile, The Wind Blows Where it Wishes, adobe and steel, 2023.

Melvin Edwards at City Hall Park

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Known for semi-abstract and often small-scale sculpture including the ‘Lynch Fragments’ series recently on view at the New Museum, Melvin Edwards takes over the south entrance to City Hall Park via Public Art Fund with this large-scale sculpture depicting broken chains.  Titled ‘Brighter Days’ the exhibition’s curving minimal forms enhances the attractiveness of the message displayed – freedom from bondage.  (On view through Nov 28th).

Melvin Edwards, ‘Song of the Broken Chains’ in installation view of ‘Brighter Days’ at City Hall Park, summer 2021.

Sipros Sipros at Bushwick Collective

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New York galleries may have reopened in July and part of August, but most have now closed for an end-of-summer break before regrouping in early September.  New York’s street art is ready to step in for our daily viewing pleasure, however, as proven by Brazilian street-art star Sipros Sipros’ delicious mural.  Part of Bushwick Collective’s sprawling program in Bushwick, Brooklyn, this big-eared character (the artist’s signature) enjoys a sticky moment in donut-paradise.  (On view on Troutman Street between Cypress Ave and St Nicholas Ave).

Art 2 Heart mural project in SoHo

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Aiming to send messages of “optimism, healing and love” the Art 2 Heart’s SoHo mural project has transformed SoHo’s boarded up storefronts.  Here, on the corner of Spring and Greene Streets on panels over the John Varvatos store windows, artists remember those who’ve lost their lives to police violence and insist that Black lives matter. (On view until businesses reopen).

Tito Ferrara at Bushwick Collective

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While museums and galleries are closed, a walk through Bushwick’s outdoor art gallery is a great alternative way to get your art fix.  This huge painting of a Brazilian jaguar by Sao Paulo street artist Tito Ferrara dominates the intersection, standing out among the many superb murals commissioned by the Bushwick Collective.  If you can’t get to Bushwick, check out the latest murals @thebushwickcollective or watch a short video of Ferrara strolling through the neighborhood @titoferrara.

Tito Ferrara, installation view of A Brazilian Jaguar, at Jefferson Street and St Nicholas Ave, 2019.

Farah Al Qasimi with Public Art Fund

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Waiting for the bus (or just walking past the bus stop) isn’t quite so mundane if you’re fortunate enough to encounter one of 100 bus shelters in all five boroughs currently hosting Farah Al Qasimi’s photographs.  Brooklyn-based Al Qasimi cites her upbringing in the Emirates for her attraction to an abundance of color and pattern and explains that in her series ‘Back and Forth Disco,’ presented by the Public Art Fund, personal style choices combat anonymity in the city.  In this image, spotted on Graham Avenue in Brooklyn, a woman performs a beauty treatment, blocking the procedure but enlivening the salon’s subtle décor with her own vibrant outfit.  (On view through May 17th.)

Farah Al Qasimi, from the series Back and Forth Disco, presented by Public Art Fund, 2020.

David Shrigley at Doris C. Freedman Plaza

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David Shrigley explores a new side of the banal with his monumental stone ‘Memorial,’ a tongue-in-cheek celebration of the short-lived usefulness of the shipping list. (Presented by the Public Art Fund at the entrance to Central Park at 60th Street and Fifth Ave, through Feb 12th).

David Shrigley, installation view of ‘Memorial’ at Doris C. Freedman Plaza, Central Park, 60th Street and 5th Ave, Nov 2016.
David Shrigley, installation view of ‘Memorial’ at Doris C. Freedman Plaza, Central Park, 60th Street and 5th Ave, Nov 2016.

Rachel Whiteread on Governors Island

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Hands down, the best views from any piece of New York real estate are to be had from a tiny, isolated shack on the side of a hill overlooking New York Bay. You can’t actually enter Rachel Whiteread’s ‘Cabin,’ for which she cast a small structure in concrete, but the surroundings are more the point anyway.   With Manhattan’s skyscrapers in view to the north and the Statue of Liberty looking over from the east, this new permanent public artwork is both isolated and at the center of the city. (On permanent view on Governors Island).

Rachel Whiteread, Cabin, concrete and bronze, installation view on Governors Island, 2016.
Rachel Whiteread, Cabin, concrete and bronze, installation view on Governors Island, 2016.

Martin Puryear’s Big Bling at Madison Square Park

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Martin Puryear’s huge wooden structure, sheathed in chain-link fencing and capped with a gold-leafed shackle, towers over Madison Square Park’s main lawn like a seated animal. Its shape echoes the Phrygian cap, associated with French revolutionaries and freedom and explored recently by the artist, and is topped off with a gorgeously gleaming shackle – a gilded symbol of servitude. (At Madison Square Park through January 8th, 2017).

Martin Puryear, Big Bling, installation view in Madison Square Park, 2016.
Martin Puryear, Big Bling, installation view in Madison Square Park, 2016.

Mike Nelson in ‘Wanderlust’ on the High Line

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Sleeping bags filled with rubble from nearby construction sites make for an eerie sculpture by British artist Mike Nelson. Placed in semi-hidden locations on the High Line, the bags contrast the luxurious living conditions being created in the neighborhood’s new buildings with solitary, make-do survival. (In ‘Wanderlust’ on the High Line through March 2017).

Mike Nelson, Untitled (public sculpture for a redundant space), sleeping bags, concrete, construction debris, dimensions variable, 2016.
Mike Nelson, Untitled (public sculpture for a redundant space), sleeping bags, concrete, construction debris, dimensions variable, 2016.

Nari Ward on the High Line

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Smart cars snag great parking spaces in New York; this one, created by Harlem-based artist Nari Ward, enjoys a privileged place on the High Line where an admiring audience regularly surrounds it. Inspired by an abandoned car that hosted a lime tree in his father’s yard in Jamaica, Ward planted an apple tree in this car, lining the exterior with rubber tire treads and turning a symbol of nimble urban driving into a stationary support for nature. (On the High Line through March 2017).

Nari Ward, Smart Tree, Smart car, cinder blocks, tire treads, soil, apple tree, 106 x 61 x 120 inches, 2016.
Nari Ward, Smart Tree, Smart car, cinder blocks, tire treads, soil, apple tree, 106 x 61 x 120 inches, 2016.

Matt Johnson in ‘Wanderlust’ on the High Line

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Matt Johnson’s ‘Untitled (Swan)’ marries industrial materials to the natural world by shaping a train track into the shape of an abstract swan set in the High Line’s lush gardens. Known for morphing everyday items – a crumpled Starbucks cup carved from wood and painted, a stack of plastic party cups actually rendered in painted bronze – into objects of wonder, this twisted rail pays homage to the former rail line on which it’s installed. (In ‘Wanderlust’ on the High Line through March 2017).

Matt Johnson, Untitled (Swan), bent train track, 120 x 138 x 34 ¾ inches, 2016.
Matt Johnson, Untitled (Swan), bent train track, 120 x 138 x 34 ¾ inches, 2016.

 

Tony Matelli in ‘Wanderlust’ on the High Line

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Tony Matelli pioneered his hyper-realistic sculptures before the social media era, yet they seem made for photographing and sharing. This bronze sleepwalker is a major traffic-stopper on the High Line not just as an art object in its own right but as a catalyst for audience interaction. (In ‘Wanderlust’ on the High Line through March 2017).

Tony Matelli, Sleepwalker, bronze, acrylic, paint, 69 x 21 x 34 inches, 2014. In ‘Wanderlust’ on the High Line through March 2017.
Tony Matelli, Sleepwalker, bronze, acrylic, paint, 69 x 21 x 34 inches, 2014. In ‘Wanderlust’ on the High Line through March 2017.

Yutaka Sone in ‘Panorama’ on the High Line

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Every bridge, pier and building in Manhattan at the time of making is included in this marble rendition of the island by Japanese artist Yutaka Sone on the High Line. Isolated from the rest of the map, and created of white stone, Manhattan resembles a shrouded corpse. (Through March 2016).

Yutaka Sone, Little Manhattan New York, New York, marble, 2007- 2009.

Damian Ortega in ‘Panorama’ on the High Line

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Mexican artist Damian Ortega finds a new to suspend his sculpture in space (last winter he created an explosion of tools at the Cooper Hewitt Museum) in this graffiti made of rebar, as if he’s managed to tag the sky. (On the High Line in Chelsea through March 2016).

Damian Ortega, Physical Graffiti #3, steel, 5 ft 10 ¾ inches x ¾ inches x 7 ft 9 ¼ in, 2015.

Teresita Fernandez, ‘Fata Morgana’ at Madison Square Park

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Titled after mirages that form on the horizon line, Teresita Fernandez’ ‘Fata Morgana’ in Madison Square Park playfully imagines what it would be like to inhabit the mirage. Her sprawling, 500 foot long installation of golden, mirror-polished metal covers the park’s walkways, creating both a dappled pattern on the ground and a through-the-looking-glass effect in the reflective surface overhead. (Through winter ’15-‘16).

Teresita Fernandez, Fata Morgana, Madison Square Park, through winter 2015-16.

Santiago Calatrava on the Park Avenue Malls

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Seven striking new aluminum sculptures by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava are a bold contrast in color and form to the buildings lining Park Ave (even elegant Lever House in the background). They’re reminiscent of Calatrava’s evolving transportation hub downtown, designed in a similarly organic form to suggest the wings and flight of a bird. (On view on the Park Avenue Mall between 52nd and 55th Streets through early November.)

Santiago Calatrava, S4, painted plate aluminum, 2015.

Agnes Denes at Socrates Sculpture Park

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With its view of Manhattan just across the East River, Long Island City’s tranquil Socrates Sculpture Park plays perfect host to Agnes Denes’ ‘Living Pyramid.’ Created from wood and soil, flowers and grasses in the form of some of the world’s earliest monumental architecture, it’s a provocative foil to the city’s skyscrapers. (Though August 30th).

Agnes Denes, The Living Pyramid, flowers, grasses, soil, wood, paint, 30 x 30 x 30 feet, 2015.

Tatiana Trouve at the SE corner of Central Park

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Before she even set foot in Central Park to create a site-specific artwork commissioned by the Public Art Fund, Paris-based artist Tatiana Trouve poured over maps of the park’s utilities. Inspired by the many unseen arteries connecting the park’s lights, water supply and more, she measured all 212 pathways in the park, designating each with a separate spool on towering racks. (Through Aug 30th).

Tatiana Trouve, installation view of ‘Desire Lines,’ at Doris C. Freedman Plaza, Central Park, 60th Street and 5th Ave, through Aug 30th.

Urs Fischer at Gagosian Gallery on the Lower East Side

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New York gets a chance to see select sculptures made by some of 1,500 participants in Swiss artist Urs Fischer’s retrospective at LA’s Geffen Contemporary last summer. Select pieces have been cast in bronze and are on view at Gagosian Gallery’s atmospheric Lower East Side pop-up in an old Chase bank. (Through May 23rd).

Urs Fischer, mermaid (in middle ground of photo), cast bronze, 40 ½ x 48 x 84 inches, 2014.

Olaf Breuning at Doris C. Freedman Plaza, Central Park

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As we leave behind winter’s bleakness, Olaf Breuning’s whimsical ‘Clouds’ sculpture at the corner of 60th Street and Fifth Ave poised to come into its own as the park comes to life. Roll on spring! (Exhibition by Public Art Fund at Doris C. Freedman Plaza through August 24th).

Olaf Breuning, Clouds, polished and painted aluminum and steel, 2014.

Jonas Woods on the High Line

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New residential buildings are springing up on 10th Ave like weeds, making this billboard-sized domestic scene by LA artist Jonas Woods strangely appropriate.  The personality of each plant is enhanced by quirky pots – most of which resemble creations by Wood’s wife, ceramic artist Shio Kusaka.  (On the High Line at 18th Street through Feb 3rd.)  

Jonas Woods, Shelf Still Life, print on vinyl, 25 x 75 feet, 2013.

Sheep Station at 24th Street and 10th Ave in Chelsea

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In a 200 year throw-back to the days when parts of Chelsea were Clement Clarke Moore’s apple orchard, Paul Kasmin Gallery has partnered with collector and real estate developer Michael Shvo to create an agrarian landscape on the recently closed Getty gas station on the corner of 24th Street and 10th Ave.  Before the site is turned into a luxury condo, it will be populated by sheep sculpture by the late French artist Francois-Xavier Lalanne, making for one of the most head-turning exhibitions in Chelsea at the moment. (Through Oct 20th).

Frank Benson in ‘Busted’ on The High Line

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Swept-back hair and blocky shades give this graceful dancer a back-to-the-future vibe that’s complicated by the possibility that she’s a street mime, a mannequin or neither.  (Featured in the group exhibitions ‘Busted’ on Chelsea’s High Line through April 2014.)  

Frank Benson, Human Statue (Jessie), bronze, acrylic polyurethane, 2011.

Alicja Kwade in ‘Lightness of Being,’ at City Hall Park

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New Yorkers used to seeing abandoned and decrepit bikes are likely to get a kick out of Polish artist Alicja Kwade’s twisted racer in City Hall Park.  Like her curving wooden door that we saw on Lower East Side tours last Feb/March, she took the original apart, reformed it and pieced it back together to create an object of whimsy and wonder.  (Through December 13th).  

Alicja Kwade, Journey without Arrival (Raleigh), stainless steel, aluminum, rubber, plastic components, 2012/13.

Ugo Rondinone in ‘Lightness of Being,’ at City Hall Park

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In a more intimately-scaled followup to Swiss-American artist Ugo Rondinone’s powerful installation of stone characters at Paula Cooper Gallery this spring, the artist revives his recurring clown figure as a performer at City Hall Park.   Even asleep, this character is imposing and mysterious with his colorful nylon costume, collar of feathers and thick shawl.  (Through December 13th).   

Ugo Rondinone, dog days are over, performance, 1996/2013.

Daniel Buren in ‘Lightness of Being’ at City Hall Park

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It’s going to be hard to appreciate major late 20th century minimalist Daniel Buren’s characteristic indoor painted installations after seeing his gorgeous pavilion in City Hall Park, which allows visitors to literally walk into fields of color and interact with spaces projected by the sun onto the ground and pavilion floor.  (Through December 13th).  

Daniel Buren, Suncatcher, powder-coated steel, glass, vinyl, 2013.

Evan Holloway in ‘Lightness of Being,’ at City Hall Park

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LA sculptor Evan Holloway uses one of art history’s most iconic artworks, a 4.5 inch high fertility goddess from approximately 22-24,000 BC, as decorative inspiration for a huge, slender bronze ring in City Hall Park.  The shifts between a tiny but fulsome female on a huge but slim ring are provocative and amusing; you’ll also get a rare glimpse of the sculpture’s back view. (Through December 13th).   

Evan Holloway, ‘Willendorf Wheel,’ bronze, 2013.

James Angus in ‘Lightness of Being’ at City Hall Park

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One of the city’s best exhibitions of the moment isn’t in a gallery…the Public Art Fund’s exhibition ‘Lightness of Being’ at City Hall Park brings together an outstanding array of sculpture that surprises with its materials, sizes or concepts.  This week, we’ll check it out, starting with this distorted tractor by Australian-American artist James Angus, which not only looks odd in its über urban environment, but is given another twist by digital distortions in the manufacturing process.  (Through December 13th).   

James Angus, ‘John Deere Model D,’ painted steel, painted cast iron, 2013.

Orly Genger, ‘Red, Yellow and Blue,’ at Madison Square Park

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Brooklyn-based artist Orly Genger is known for sculpture and installations involving knitting, but she outdoes herself in Madison Square Park with an installation made by knotting 1.4 million feet of nautical rope collected on the East coast and arranged in undulating waves around the park’s trees.  (Though Sept 8th).  

Orly Genger, ‘Red, Yellow and Blue,’ installation view at Madison Square Park, nautical rope & paint, July 2013.

Allyson Vieira at Metro Tech Center by Public Art Fund

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The roughly cut blocks of Allyson Vieira’s sculptures resemble the caryatids of Greek architecture but in an updated, futuristic way.  We enjoyed versions made with drywall at Laurel Gitlen Gallery on last March’s Lower East Side tour, but it’s perfect to see them outdoors in proximity to a Greek-style façade at Brooklyn’s Metro Tech Center.  (Through Sept 16th).     

Allyson Vieira, ‘Weight Bearing V, Weight Bearing VI, Weight Bearing VII,’ 2012.

Jeff Koons’ ‘Balloon Flower,’ at 7 WTC, Manhattan

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As New York galleries take a break in the final weeks of summer, New York Art Tours heads to the city’s parks and public places to enjoy our lively public art scene.  Here’s a sculpture that several of you mentioned when we toured Jeff Koons’ show of giant balloon dog sculptures this spring.  Koons’ ‘Balloon Flower’ outside of 7 WTC in downtown Manhattan is a hit with kids on this sunny summer day.  

Jeff Koons, Balloon Flower, mirror polish stainless steel with transparent color, installation view in park of 7 WTC, July 2013.

Raymond Pettibon on the High Line

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Raymond Pettibon tends to make large installations of small drawings, so this huge drawing depicting a Boston Red Sox and Brooklyn Dodgers game, located next to the High Line at 10th Avenue and 18th Street, is an eye-opener.  The picture goes beyond baseball to hint at East Coast/West Coast rivalries (the Dodgers moved to LA) that extend to music and more. (Through July 1st).  

Raymond Pettibon, No Title (Safe he called…), print on vinyl, 2010.

Alexandre Arrechea in Union Square

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If you missed Alexandre Arrechea’s sculptures of iconic New York City buildings on the Park Avenue mall this spring, you have another chance to enjoy the Cuban artist’s playful take on the city’s architectural landmarks.  Located at the northwest corner of Union Square, this vivid red steel sculpture reimagines The Sherry Netherland hotel as an ouroboros.

Alexandre Arrechea, Sherry Netherland, steel, 2013.

JR & José Parlá at Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery

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Cartagena, Spain, Shanghai, LA and Havana have hosted globe-trotting street artist JR and his ‘The Wrinkles of the City’ project, for which he interviews and photographs senior citizens, then blows up their images and applies them with glue to the city’s walls.  Chelsea’s Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery showcases the monumental Havana photos and an entertaining video through July 12th.  

JR and José Parlá, The Wrinkles of the City, Havana, Cuba, Man with a Jerry Can, color print on metallic paper mounted on aluminum, 2012.

JR and Jose Parla outside Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery

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I’ve been looking forward to globe-trotting street artist JR’s opening at Chelsea’s Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery next Tuesday, so spotting the artist and Jose Parla as they created this wall mural last Saturday on the gallery exterior was a treat.  For their collaborative project, JR and Parla photographed and interviewed seniors including this stately woman.  (‘The Wrinkles of the City’ opens May 7 and runs through July 12).

Ryan McGinley on The High Line

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Is Ryan McGinley’s huge figure falling or floating?  McGinley’s signature photos show young people living their lives with abandon.  Here, his ambiguity is unsettling, but the gorgeous blue color on drab, early-spring 10th Ave is alluring. (At 18th Street and 10th Ave, presented by High Line Art, through April 30th)  

Ryan McGinley, Blue Falling, print on vinyl, 2007.

Allen Ruppersberg on 18th Street and 10th Ave – High Line Art

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West-coast conceptual art legend Allen Ruppersberg is known for adopting LA’s colorful roadside signage (popular for advertising garage sales, etc) for his text-based artwork.  Here on 10th Ave and 18th Street in Chelsea, he commands a huge sign of his own to present a series of (romantic?) meditations on relationships between ‘me’ and ‘you.’  (Presented by High Line Art/Friends of the High Line through Feb 28th).  

Allen Ruppersberg, You & Me, print on vinyl, 25 x 75 feet, 2013.

Robin Rhode at Lehmann Maupin

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Robin Rhodes, Paries Pictus - Color in the Pictures, vinyl and oil crayons in custom box, 2013.
Robin Rhodes, Paries Pictus – Color in the Pictures, vinyl and oil crayons in custom box, 2013.

Kids from PS 63 in the South Bronx discovered that coloring with crayons isn’t as easy as it seems…At least not when the crayons are over two feet long.  Berlin-based South African artist Robin Rhode created wall decals and handed over the crayons, letting the children discover that being an artist can be hard work.  (At Lehmann Maupin’s Lower East Side Gallery through March 16th).

Tatzu Nishi at Columbus Circle with the Public Art Fund

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Tatzu Nishi, 'Discovering Columbus' installation photo, 2012.
Tatzu Nishi, ‘Discovering Columbus’ installation photo, 2012.

Ever think Christopher Columbus would invite you over to his place?  Something like that is happening on Columbus Circle, starting tomorrow, as the Public Art Fund opens Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi’s ‘Discovering Columbus.’  After climbing six flights of stairs, visitors who’ve reserved free, timed passes can lounge in a furnished living room constructed atop a scaffolding that surrounds the 13-foot tall sculpture from 1892. (Through November 18th.  Passes available at publicartfund.org.)

Thomas Houseago’s ‘Lying Figure’ on the High Line

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Thomas Houseago, Lying Figure, bronze, 2012.
Thomas Houseago, Lying Figure, bronze, 2012.

Thomas Houseago’s ‘Lying Figure’ lurks in shadow on the High Line under the Standard, like a voyeur lying in wait for the hotel’s notorious exhibitionist guests.  Composed of repulsive, fecal-looking coils cast in bronze, the character is nonetheless a commanding presence despite being laid low and missing his head. (On the High Line through March 2013).