NEW YORK—A festive spirit has sprung up along Park Avenue. Sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002) are responsible for the celebratory vibe. Inspired by jazz, sports and American Indian culture, the mosaic tile works with exaggerated silhouettes are posing, performing and standing at attention on the median strips between East 53rd and East 60th streets. The elaborately adorned and painted (“Les Baigneurs”) sculptures offer 360 degrees of fascination, boasting details aplenty on both the front and back.
Last year, De Saint Phalle’s sculptures were exhibited in Washington, D.C., in front of the National Museum of Women in the Arts as a part of the museum’s New York Avenue Sculpture Project.
In New York, the Park Avenue installation is presented by The Sculpture Committee of The Fund for Park Avenue (in collaboration with other city public art organizations) and will be on view from July 12 to Nov. 15, 2012.
All photos © Arts Observer
Above, “Les Baigneurs,” circa 1983 (polyester, polyurethane paint). Top of page, Detail of “Grand Step Totem,” 2001 (polyurethane foam, resin, steel armature, ceramic tiles, tumbled stones, glass, glass tiles).
Alternate view of “Les Baigneurs.”
“Les Trois Graces (The Three Graces),” 1999 (polyester, ceramic tile, stained and mirrored glass, fused millefiori glass inserts).
“#19 Baseball Player,” 1999 (fiberglass, resin, steel armature, stained and mirrored glass, ceramic tiles, tumbled stone, gold leaf).
Rear view of “#19 Baseball Player” shows mosaic detail on uniform.
“#23 Basketball Players,” 1999 (polyurethane foam, resin, steel armature, stained and mirrored glass, tumbled stones, ceramic tiles).
“Nana on a Dolphin,” 1998.
“Arbre Serpents (Serpent Tree),” 1999.
“Grand Step Totem,” 2001 (polyurethane foam, resin, steel armature, ceramic tiles, tumbled stones, glass, glass tiles).
Detail of “Grand Step Totem.”
Above, Rear installation view of “Grand Step Totem” sculpture.
“Louis Armstrong,” 1999 (polyurethane foam, resin, steel armature, stained and mirrored glass, tumbled stones, gold leaf).