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Photo by Tien Mao
This crafty plywood piece was spotted yesterday on Water Street in DUMBO, and it seems to have just been put up by the people at the De-Fence Project. It's on the west side of the street, placed on the scaffolding and going from Water and Main streets all the way to the Tobacco Warehouse (albeit not on every panel). Let's just hope it doesn't come loose and stab anyone!
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I'll be sure to walk under that just like I'll be sure to take the stairs at 5 Pointz.
Here is the skinny on this thing from the most recent press release:
The De-Fence Project is a site-specific display that is integrated into a 300ft long wooden fence running atop a sidewalk bridge of the Empire Stores building in the Empire-Fulton State Park in Dumbo, Brooklyn. The mural is composed of 60 plywood panels attached above and below the fence utilizing the existing wooden framework. Evolving from left to right, the pattern features a variety of natural shapes, such as jellyfish, leaves, and birds.
This project is a great example of how the unsightly can easily be made more beautiful and interesting. Donated entirely by Exhibitology Inc., a Brooklyn based design and fabrication company, it is now threatened by the hand of our state government that often forgets the everyday people it represents. But the De-Fence Project has won the hearts of Dumbo residents and the support of local business owners, such as St. Ann’s Warehouse. Many business owners have praised the project, and feel that in a challenging economy, bringing interest and creativity to our area can only help welcome potential customers. They want it to stay, especially because they will be living with this construction fence for a long time. Due to the building’s deterioration, the sidewalk bridge was erected to protect pedestrians on the sidewalk below; it is slated to be in place for the next seven years, or until repair funding is realized.
The De-Fence Project was erected to coincide with BKLYN designs, a showcase for young Brooklyn-based designers. Due to time constraints, Exhibitology was not able to secure permission in time to for the May 7th install and thus The State’s position is that anything that they can’t control is not allowed. Regional director of New York State Parks, Rachel Gordon has officially deemed the installation “vandalism” and has threatened to pursue the matter further stating that if the installation is not removed by Exhibitology Inc. promptly, and the sidewalk bridge returned to its original bleak condition, they will destroy it.
The technical carpentry term for that "fence" is parapet wall
"Fences" are on the ground - a low wall around a roof or deck is a "parapet wall".
It's funny how they called the sidewalk bridge by it's correct name, but they didn't bother to call the parapet wall by it's correct name.
And if they couldn't name it right - did they install it right?
I hope they remembered to put 16d duplexes @ 16" O.C. for the entire run!!!
[and if they don't know what that last sentence means - then they probably did it wrong!]
It looks fantastic - great idea!
Yeah, but that color...
I saw this thing yesterday at the design show -- it's really impressive and huge! I don't think there's a possibility of it falling off; those pieces are really screwed on there. I followed the De-fence Project website to Exhibitology Inc. They make some pretty wild and cool things (http://www.exhibitologyinc.com). Definitely worth out.
Seems a bit excessive for the Parks Dept. to call it vandalism, really. The sense that I got from talking to people is that the neighborhood really likes it. I like it, even though I don't live there. Why go to such lengths to remove something just on principle? Crazy.
"The people from the neighborhood" don't own that sidewalk bridge.
The sidewalk bridge contractor owns it.
And, along with the building owner who rented the bridge, they are legally responsible for the safety and integrity of the bridge and they are liable if anybody gets injured by the bridge or a component of it.
If one of those plywood pieces gets blown off in a strong wind and crushes somebody's skull, it's not these artists who are going to get sued - it's the sidewalk bridge contractor and the building owner!
In light of that fact, they have every right to call vandalism and to demand that the vandals pay for them to bring in a crew of carpenters and laborers to rip off the artwork and restore the bridge to the way it was designed to be.
Assuming they're using union labor [and I hope they are] and allowing for the rental of a dumpster to dispose of the artwork, that would cost out to around $ 20,700 and would take about a week.
De-Fence Project and BKLYN Designs - tell your mommies and daddies you need an advance on the trust fund!
Boo-urns, Butler.
P.S. "And if they couldn't name it right - did they install it right?"
Maybe the point of a press release is to make people understand the project, and not everybody knows what a "parapet wall" is, which is, as you point out, a technical term. Though you dazzle and confound with your carpentry knowledge, the name isn't as important as the safety of the FENCE.
And after all, I kin still bild sumfin even if I dunno how ta say it.