An artist has been transforming everyday objects into whimsical sculptures in Fort Washington Park along the Hudson south of West 176th Street. Our tipster, Lucas Bernard, sent the images and spoke to the artist, who is apparently tall, skinny and bearded.
“They are new; I met the artist as he was constructing some of them,” Lucas wrote. “Like the stone objects down by the river, these constructions are also frequently destroyed and/or ‘cleaned’ up. The artist told me that although these (what I photographed) are new, he has been making constructions for a while and would welcome the publicity.”
A sign at the site says “Freedom Visuals”.
Yes, this is somewhat out of our coverage area, but it fits with our previous coverage of artist Uliks Gryka, who has been building stone sculptures along the Hudson.
See some more of Lucas’ photos below:
It’s all in the eye of the beholder, but ready-mades they ain’t. It just looks like accumulated trash.
Gryka’s work, on the other hand, is a welcome, visually engaging addition to the shoreline.
Sorry, I have pretty broad taste in art, but this just looks like piles of garbage to me. I don’t really see any harmony or references between the pieces. I can see why it’s getting cleaned up,
Our building porters create whimsical sculptures on the sidewalk near the service entrance twice a week, every week. We supply the materials. They supply the talent.
Good one, Robert Goodman.
I like your style.
You sure the person is an ARTIsT?
Sure looks like a bunch of trash put together.
Is this story worthy of your blog?
sorry but this just looks like trash washed up after a storm…. a pure eyesore
This “artist” should get a day job!
To all the (justifiably) grossed-out commenters below:
You are all correct…this ain’t “art”…it looks more like stuff GoodWill tossed away.
But remember:
According to some, this is the era of The NEW POPULISM, where no one is better than anyone else, and talent is a thing of the racist-capitalist-colonialist-elitist-(add your favorite college-librul-trendy-term here) past.
Got the new iPhone 321xyz? Hey, you’re a photographer, and LOOK, your photos are on Instagram and Facebook, where they get kazillions of “Likes” from people who wouldn’t know a GOOD photograph from a petunia.
Go around re-assembling junk into junk-arranged-differently? Hey, you’re an artist, the new Picasso.
THAT’s why it’s called Brave New World….’cause ya gotta be brave to stomach this twaddle.
I can’t help but agree. This is collected junk put a little more deliberately in a pile, rather than a heap. No talent involved. No message, nothing pleasing to the eye. Not only COULD my son have done it – he HAS done it, out on the curb for the Sanitation Dept. Not EVERYTHING is art.
These are the funniest comments I’ve ever read on this site lol. Thanks for the laughs over this “art” neighbors 😄
Wait, is the art actually getting people to react to piles of trash presented as art? Because, if so, this is brilliant!
To be fair these pictures are taken from lousy angles. When you see it from the highway the sculptures actually look pretty cool. They’re little bright spots against the grey stone.
Whimsical? More like crapsical. I propose using a portion of our discretionary budget funds to help the “artist” move his crap back to Manhattan Mini-Storage.