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NYC Waterfalls: Night Moves
By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 27, 2008
Modified Jan 22, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jun 27, 2008
Modified Jan 22, 2009
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Yesterday's overcast skies were not the optimum conditions for documenting the launch of Olafur Eliasson's NYC Waterfalls; photographs from the first day tended to deemphasize the falls amid the uniformly gray background. But that's part of what's compelling about the work; it's never the same waterfall twice, being constantly affected by the light, air and your point of view. And as we suggested yesterday, while the project may seem underwhelming when you stare straight at it expecting 'capital-W' Waterfalls, they're much more beguiling when you catch them from a distance, out of the corner of your eye. Spotted from an adjacent bridge or a side street near the water, the fluctuating installation works as a sort of unpredictable conversation between the city's skyline and the water that surrounds it.
Roberta Smith has a review in today's Times; she invokes Walt Whitman and calls the waterfalls "relatively unobtrusive and brilliantly insidious. They go against the grain of the often spectacular nature of quite a bit of the best-known public art, including some made by Mr. Eliasson himself." Below are some stunning shots from the installation taken last night, which make a pretty convincing argument for the project when viewed up close, as well.
Tagged
art
new york city
night
NYC waterfalls
olafur eliasson
photgraphs
photos
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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