Central Park

The Daily Plant : Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Cultural Offerings at the Arsenal Gallery and Its Backyard, Central Park

This is the last week to see the captivating paintings and drawings of Bascove at the Arsenal Gallery, which celebrate the historic ornamental 19th century bridges of Central Park. Bascove’s pulsating images in bold colors pay homage to the magnificent palette of stone and cast iron bridges and tunnels designed to complement the artistry of the park’s landscape, and transform these iconic park features into an aesthetic at once dynamic and contemporary.

Throughout her career, Bascove has painted a many of New York City’s bridges, from the Verrazano Bridge to the Harlem River Bridges, spanning all five boroughs using curved geometrical strokes and vivid colors to render monumental bridge structures. For this exhibition she has concentrated on Central Park and the smaller arch structures that span its waterways and paths, allowing the details of the bridges shine through. Bascove has captured the diverse material and structural elements of the overpasses along with the open grandness of some of the structures and the hidden tranquility of others.

This exhibition will be on view through Friday, August 14. The Arsenal Gallery, located in Central Park at 5th Avenue and East 64th Street, is open to the public Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free.

Just to the north of the Arsenal and the Delacorte Clock, visitors may have a super-auditory experience, as they stroll through pedestrian path under the 65th Street Transverse road. Here composer John Morton has installed his Sound Tunnel, an installation of sounds he recorded within the park, which remix in spontaneous and unpredictable ways. On every half-hour and hour with the ringing of the Delacorte chimes, this 20-minute, 6-speaker sound installation incorporates field recordings made in Central Park over the last year.

Using computer technology, a randomly generated selection of ambient sounds such as horses clopping, baseball games, birds, and chime tunes are woven together to form ever-changing compositions that echo through the cavernous tunnel. The installation runs from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 through September 10.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

“Be who you are and be that well”

Saint Francis de Sales
(1567 – 1622)

Know Before You Go

Harlem Meer Center (formerly Lasker Rink)

Harlem Meer Center