Mystery Bench Baffles City Officials

A Gothamist tipster emailed us this photo of a prohibitively tall bench on the median of East Houston Street near Suffolk. Is this guerrilla art or city-sanctioned furniture? The new cool “Bench Club” for East Village scenesters? A lawsuit in-waiting from the city’s more vertically challenged residents? A prototype anti-homeless bench? A photoshop hoax?

Lots and lots of phone calls to the City Council representative, the Community Board, the Parks Department and D.O.T. have yielded exactly 0 leads. Our source at D.O.T. simply said: “Wow! This is shocking! Will investigate.” A Community Board representative confirms that the median is under D.O.T. jurisdiction and tells us they have yet to find any record of this with the Community Board.

If this is a gag we're going to have some apologizing to do, so we’re counting on our tireless commenters to get to the bottom of this – because it’s way too cold and windy for us to go out there ourselves.

Update, December 17: City officials removed the bench, asking the owner to reclaim it. And it turns out the "owner" is street artist Brad Downey.

Thanks to Patrick for the photo and tip.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on December 17, 2007 1:41 PM

Comments [rss]

nyn8tv

Guerrilla art adds much to New York's pulse. Whenever I'm back in the City and I come across something so totally out of left field, it makes me appreicate the phrase; "It's a New York thing, you wouldn't understand!" I wish the sky high bench had been permanently achored.

drexel

ahahaha. awesome!!! i love this city.

zoofroy

Sorry, I goofed. It is closet to Suffolk Street. Just saw it about 20 minutes ago.

mocanlagunas

It's called art...

I would say ugly art, but art nonetheless...

And not even original...

JenChungsBaby

It's a lifeguard chair for global warming.

aydiosmio

I hope the DOT comes by with a masonry bit and some bolts.

I'd like to see this become a permanent installation.

zoofroy

Thank you Mason55; I'm flattered that some of you think I'm that good with Photoshop, but I'm really not. The reason some of you may not have seen it is it's actually closer to Attorney Street, not Suffolk.

LaFlaneuse

That reminds me of the benches made by Danish artist Jeppe Hein, who recently has a solo exhibition at SculptureCenter in Long Island City.

http://www.artnet.com/artist/135033/jeppe-hein.html

You can see he did a bench with super tall legs, though the bench in this picture is definitely not his.

mason55

more pics on flickr

It's real and it's still there. It wasn't up when I left for work this morning but I just made my roommate go take pics. He said it's very unstable and it almost fell when he touched it.

ihateallbrokers

i say downey or verbs...fits their style...

Papercutninja

It's poorly done photoshop. There isn't any texture on the extended legs.

Landor

Damn double post. I'm blaming the Gothamist server: it claimed that my first post attempt had failed. Grrrrr!

Landor

WTF. I love guerrilla art, but this object is aesthetically deficient (straight bar stock scabbed onto elegant cast iron legs) and just plain dangerous (no anchors, no cross bracing). I hope it heads to the dumpster before it dumps some kid.

I think I've got the Monday crankies.

Landor

WTF. I love guerrilla art, but this object is aesthetically deficient (straight bar stock scabbed onto elegant cast iron legs) and just plain dangerous (no anchors, no cross bracing). I hope it heads to the dumpster before it dumps some kid.

I think I've got the Monday crankies.

recovery

How did I miss this Sunday morning? I walked right by there but didn't see anything...too rainy and windy?

neckbeard

i always loved how "red square" was occupied by blockbuster, kinkos, dunin donuts, and autozone

zoofroy

I took the picture around 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and last saw it yesterday afternoon. I haven't been by there today, so it might have been taken down already.

neckbeard

i always loved how "red square" was occupied by blockbuster, kinkos, dunin donuts, and autozone

mason55

hmmm i might have been really tired but i dont remember seeing that when i left for work at 9am today

Blairy Blair

Look at all those chain retailers who pay sky high commercial rents behind this out of reach bench and I don't think you'll have to think much harder about its meaning.