Hot on the wings of William Ryman’s Bird sculpture, New York City’s Flatiron District will be graced with the work of another renowned artist in the spring and summer months ahead.

From May 2 – September 8, Madison Square Park will serve as a canvas for Orly Genger’s latest creation: Red, Yellow and Blue.  Genger’s stock in trade is using commonplace materials in unique and unexpected ways. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Madison Square Park Conservancy‘s Mad Sq Art, park visitors will have the privilege of viewing her latest colorful work right here in the Flatiron District.

Genger has made use of 1.4 million feet of hand-knotted nautical rope to construct three colorful aisles that, once they are complete, will weave gracefully throughout Madison Square Park’s lawns and pathways. The rope used for the project was gathered from the Eastern seaboard, imbuing the spirit of New York’s coastal communities in the heart of the city. Genger has meticulously tailored her piece to the specific layout of Madison Square Park. Tracking its many twists and turns, viewers will experience a familiar location in a new way, and perhaps encounter areas of the park that they have never seen before.

Explaining her intentions for Red, Yellow and Blue, Genger says: “For Madison Square Park I wanted to create a work that would impress in scale but still engage rather than intimidate. In context to my other installations, the rope used for Big Boss (2010) at MASS MoCA will comprise only 10% of the rope used for the project at Madison Square Park, allowing me to work at an unprecedented scale. The tradition of knitting carries the sharing of stories and the installation draws on that idea. The re-purposed rope brings with it the stories of different locations and by knotting it, a space is created for the words and thoughts of viewers in New York City to complete the work, creating a silent dialogue that waves along.”

In line with its creator’s community-spanning intent, Red, Yellow and Blue will not be limited to New York. In October, it will make its debut outside of Boston in DeCordova Sculpture Park. This should give New Yorkers ample time to check out the imposing and beautiful installation for themselves.

For more on Orly Genger and Red, Yellow and Blue, check out this article at Madison Square Park.org