New Public Art for the Pier

In December the Hudson River Trust announced two new pieces of art being installed at an (also new) northern Chelsea park (at Pier 66), one being a giant waterwheel. The wheel is currently installed at the end of Pier 66 near 25th Street and was inaugurated at a ceremony yesterday. It uses the river's changing tide to power an odometer which has been functioning since April.

Paul Rimirez Jonas is the mastermind behind the wheel, which is about 30-feet in diameter and serves as "a reminder of the Hudson River’s milling history." Jonas is a local artist who explained, "although it was created with the improbable goal of marking the duration of our lives, species, civilizations, and even the planet, its more immediate intent is to place human existence within a geologic time frame." The time frame to make his creation a reality has been seven years! He began in 2000, working with marine engineers and a whole lot of imagination.

The other piece of public art now on display is "Two Too Large Tables" by artists Allan and Ellen Wexler. Their stainless steel and wood pieces resemble a community table (with chairs) and a pavillion - all of which are larger than life. In total the Trust has commisioned seven works of art for the new parks, and promises more to come.

Photos via mdmandeville's flickr and somethingstartedcrazyy's flickr.

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By Jen Carlson in Arts and Events on July 25, 2007 5:30 PM

Comments [rss]

cool

The waterwheel is way cool, but i'm undecided on the chairs/table. I agree that the waterwheel harps back to a time when the waterfront was industrial, echoed by the deteriorated steel up in the 60's. Also, the waterwheel kind of looks like a clock (perhaps like that colgate clock), reinforcing the concept of timed passed.

guest

ditto Toby

Toby von Meistersinger

This is not art.

The one on the left looks like some sort of abandoned urban Teutonic über picnic area while the one on the right looks like some sort of abandoned piece of industrial hardware.

Paul Rimirez Jonas is spewing that typical contemporary "art" verbage about how bloody important the piece is and how much of a genius he is for thinking up something that looks like industrial hardware. No doubt he got Olmsted and Vaux spinning in their graves with this thing.

guest

I've checked out these works a couple times as they are close to my house. I'm a fan of the water wheel but am seriously disappointed in the chair/tables. It represents a half-assed effort for something I so dearly love in public art. Usability. Art that can be used. It's a beautiful idea to create say a chair and a table that also looks good and makes for a better space. Given that much material, and that much funding, I would be a highschool drop out could do a better job. More importantly, scratch the "art" put in regular picnic tables, and use the funding to fight pollution.