change on the high line

Regardless of how many times friends arrive in my city and no matter how many times I see the same sites…I’ll never tire as things in this city constantly change.  A friend of mine from Delhi, India was visiting New York City for his very first time. Even though we only had a few hours together…well…much was seen and experienced.  (And he’s a photographer too!)

 

 

Since it was such a warm spring afternoon, the High Line was on my list for him to see.  An atmosphere where you can talk, walk and absorb the city views, the spring blooms, and lots of public art work.  So we’ll start with Blue Falling by New York based artist Ryan McGinley.  I’d read the write-up in the New York Times and was eager to see what was termed “figurative and abstract” by the writer.  McGinley’s dream-like photo certainly leaves you with various impressions.  Imagine at the age of 23 having a solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art.  Now the whole world sees his art on this billboard.  Amazing! (Check out his photography here.  Love, Love, Love his work.)  As the evening continued on it was fun to watch the light casting some cool shadows on Blue Falling.   Wonder what treat is in store for us on the next billboard coming up in May?

 

 

Between West 21st and West 22nd Streets is an incredible wall sculpture made of pressed tin and mirrors, titled Broken Bridge II, by artist El Anatsui.  Anatsui is a Nigeria-based artist whose work typically involves metallic bottle caps from discarded Nigerian liquor bottles and woven together with copper wire.   But more recently he has turned to installation art and from what I read he wanted to reflect the fabric of the city and the High Line’s landscape as it changes throughout the seasons.  This is a massive piece at 37 feet high and 157 feet wide.  So fun to play with the reflections of the surrounding buildings.  Once again…wonder what will replace this sculpture at the end of this summer!

 

 

At another section of the High Line (around West 29th Street) a new mural was being painted on behalf of the Metropolitan Museum as part of their “One Met, Many World’s” campaign.  It was fascinating to watch the painters at work.  One second looking at the photograph of what they’re painting and the next blending the colors just right, all why tethered as they painted this five story tall mural.

 

 

 

Of course taking my friend to Grand Central Station and Rockefeller Center was on the list too.  Perfect by night, a palette of color floating on top of a water fountain on Fifth Avenue was begging to be photographed. (As well as the lights on the trees in the Rockefeller Plaza area.)

 

 

Now this is what comes to mind when I think of Gotham!

So that was my evening in New York City!  It was amazing to also see the amount of police presence in the city as a result of the recent events in Boston.  A big thank you to our NYPD for keeping an eye on things!

And by the way…you can learn all about the High Line here and more about the High Line art projects here if you see a visit to the Big Apple in your future.