iscp alum Kate Newby presents a sculptural installation at Fort Greene Park in collaboration with The City of New York’s Department of Parks & Recreation Art in the Parks
New Zealand artist Kate Newby’s site-specific sculpture, “How funny are you today, New York,” builds on her ongoing interest in creating work that is ephemeral and often peripheral, which is slyly integrated into public environments. Situated in the historic setting of Fort Greene Park, a place where art, life, tradition, and culture have coalesced for centuries, Newby was inspired by a pronounced boulder that locals call “the Grey Painted Rock.” She has fashioned two seats out of concrete, stones from Ft. Greene Park, mortar, and crystals, which now converse playfully with the existing boulder and the park’s environment.
Creating a space where semi-precious and industrial materials get integrated seamlessly into the urban landscape, Newby’s installation invites park visitors to stop and rest or play while simultaneously forcing the viewer to address the artist’s reconsideration of the environment’s norms. Newby wants the work to be thought of as an autonomous sculpture, something practical, where the seats will function as both artworks and utilitarian objects. Not clearly stating what they are, the rock seats propose a question as to their origin and purpose, an ambiguous status Newby is interested in occupying.
Published on December 31, 1969 by iscp | Tags: Alum exhibitions, alumni, New York City, NYC exhibitions