Dag Hammarskjold Plaza

The Daily Plant : Wednesday, May 21, 2014

“Arch III” Arrives At Dag Hammarskjold Plaza

NYC Parks is pleased to announce the exhibition ARCH III by renowned artist Elizabeth Strong-Cuevas at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. The exhibition is on view at Second Avenue and East 47th Street now through September 2014.

Strong-Cuevas’ work is influenced by the ancient civilizations of the Egyptians, the Mayans, and the Aztecs. Her sculptures have a presence that conjures impressions of iconic architecture and monuments to gods lost to time. This is evident in the scale of her sculptures, as well as the way she utilizes abstracted faces and lines within the work.

Strong-Cuevas stated: “Art in public spaces has a civilizing affect on a community; it promotes sensitivity and reflection. The installation of art in public spaces is one of my goals, and I am appreciative that NYC Parks has given me an opportunity to make an aesthetic contribution to the city.”

Located adjacent to the United Nations, the sculpture reflects the ideals and goals of the organization. ARCH III is a symbolic gateway of peace and cooperation by joining two abstract faces in an eternal circle.

Elizabeth Strong-Cuevas sees heads as metaphors for the spaces they inhabit and the abstract ideas they generate. She studied at the Art Students’ League in the 1960s with John Hovannes, who taught her to carve wood and stone. She also modeled in wax. She casts her work at the Polich Tallix Foundry. In the 1970s, she began working in plaster with Toto Meylan. Besides bronze, some of her works have been cast in stainless steel and aluminum. Careful attention is paid to the surface of her sculptures; and, according to the medium, some are polished to a gleaming finish, some are brushed, and others are treated with a patina.

NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program has consistently fostered the creation and installation of temporary public art in parks throughout the five boroughs. Since 1967, collaborations with arts organizations and artists have produced hundreds of public art projects in New York City parks. For more information visit www.nyc.gov/parks/art.

QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

"I still need more healthy rest in order to work at my best.

My health is the main capital I have and I want to administer it intelligently."

Ernest Hemingway

(1899 - 1961)