Sometimes objects are so common that you stop noticing them. This is especially the case in New York City, where the fast pace, neurosis and stress of urban life cause the mundane features of the physical world surrounding us to recede into a peripheral blur. Case in point: water towers are quite common in New York, rising conspicuously from rooftops, perhaps acting as hosts for flocks of pigeons. But how often do you really notice them?
In the latest in a series of installations brought to us by the Madison Square Parks Conservancy’s Mad. Sq. Art’s, Brooklyn-based Chilean artist Ivan Navarro’s “This Land is Your Land” (based on Woody Guthrie’s 1940 classic) beckons us to ponder the wonder that is a water tower. The structures, 7 feet in diameter atop 8-foot-tall legs, while not overwhelming in size, are sufficiently imposing to invite interest. New York City pedestrians from the Flatiron District and beyond will notice their symmetry, contemplate their life-giving purpose and, of course, wonder what the hell water towers are doing in the middle of a park. The answer to that question is far more complex than our own layman’s interpretation.
Navarro intends “This Land is Your Land” to capture the immigrant experience in America, in all its complexity and contradiction. Step under the water tower and gaze up at the series of neon words on the interior walls. In one tower: ” “Me, we.” In another: “bed.” The third: a glowing ladder. These seeming non-sequiturs, reflected endlessly in a network of mirrors, serve to illuminate (no pun intended) the themes of a work that does not reveal its intentions at first glance. They are somewhat impressionistic, but clear enough to suggest an underlying purpose.
Here’s what Navarro had to say about his piece, courtesy of MadParkNews:
“I like the idea of a reservoir of water. This simple and timeless wooden structure contains water—the most primitive and elemental resource, the essence of human sustenance, and a reminder of the basic condition that all humanity shares. We must guarantee our water in order to survive. In that sense the water tanks are containers of primordial knowledge. Their form and material are equally archaic: they are simple circular huts with conical roofs, made of wood. Less obvious but nonetheless important is their reference to watchtowers due to their elevated position. Although they are benign objects, there is the sense that they are quietly surrounding us, surveying the city below. These water towers metaphorically function as tall ornamental crowns on the tops of the large buildings that dominate the urban landscape. They punctuate the glory of modern civilization while reclaiming its humanity.”
“This Land is Your Land” is not as flashy and imposing as some of the other art installations to grace Madison Square Park. But its mundanity is part of what makes it so captivating. It whets our curiosity, rather than going right for our aesthetic jugular. And in a way, that is more satisfying.
“This Land is Your Land” is open from 11:00 AM to midnight and remains in our land through April 13th, 2014. Don’t miss it. For those who can’t make it in person, check out our quick Youtube Video …
NYC Theater News
Madison Square Park Hosts Ivan Navarro Water Towers Installation
Sometimes objects are so common that you stop noticing them. This is especially the case in New York City, where the fast pace, neurosis and stress of urban life cause the mundane features of the physical world surrounding us to recede into a peripheral blur. Case in point: water towers are quite common in New York, rising conspicuously from rooftops, perhaps acting as hosts for flocks of pigeons. But how often do you really notice them?
In the latest in a series of installations brought to us by the Madison Square Parks Conservancy’s Mad. Sq. Art’s, Brooklyn-based Chilean artist Ivan Navarro’s “This Land is Your Land” (based on Woody Guthrie’s 1940 classic) beckons us to ponder the wonder that is a water tower. The structures, 7 feet in diameter atop 8-foot-tall legs, while not overwhelming in size, are sufficiently imposing to invite interest. New York City pedestrians from the Flatiron District and beyond will notice their symmetry, contemplate their life-giving purpose and, of course, wonder what the hell water towers are doing in the middle of a park. The answer to that question is far more complex than our own layman’s interpretation.
Navarro intends “This Land is Your Land” to capture the immigrant experience in America, in all its complexity and contradiction. Step under the water tower and gaze up at the series of neon words on the interior walls. In one tower: ” “Me, we.” In another: “bed.” The third: a glowing ladder. These seeming non-sequiturs, reflected endlessly in a network of mirrors, serve to illuminate (no pun intended) the themes of a work that does not reveal its intentions at first glance. They are somewhat impressionistic, but clear enough to suggest an underlying purpose.
Here’s what Navarro had to say about his piece, courtesy of MadParkNews:
“I like the idea of a reservoir of water. This simple and timeless wooden structure contains water—the most primitive and elemental resource, the essence of human sustenance, and a reminder of the basic condition that all humanity shares. We must guarantee our water in order to survive. In that sense the water tanks are containers of primordial knowledge. Their form and material are equally archaic: they are simple circular huts with conical roofs, made of wood. Less obvious but nonetheless important is their reference to watchtowers due to their elevated position. Although they are benign objects, there is the sense that they are quietly surrounding us, surveying the city below. These water towers metaphorically function as tall ornamental crowns on the tops of the large buildings that dominate the urban landscape. They punctuate the glory of modern civilization while reclaiming its humanity.”
“This Land is Your Land” is not as flashy and imposing as some of the other art installations to grace Madison Square Park. But its mundanity is part of what makes it so captivating. It whets our curiosity, rather than going right for our aesthetic jugular. And in a way, that is more satisfying.
“This Land is Your Land” is open from 11:00 AM to midnight and remains in our land through April 13th, 2014. Don’t miss it. For those who can’t make it in person, check out our quick Youtube Video …