5/25/11

Tom Otterness in Battery Park City

Tom Otterness' characters made of bronze have been described as "comical, cunning, cartoonish and adorable". His bronze sculptures are located throughout the City in Times Square (on West 42nd between 7th & 8th in front of the AMC movie theater), along the 8th Avenue subway station of the L & ACE trains, and also in Battery Park City.

I went to a guided tour on Saturday, May 8th at 2 pm with the Battery Park City Parks Conservancy, which described the public exhibition of 'The Real World', installed in 1992, of some of Tom's cartoony characters.

You really had to look around. They were everywhere!

Tom Otterness' 'The Real World'

"Humpty Dumpty is the Fiddler on the Roof"!
Humpty Dumpty is the Fiddler On the Roof...

Kids are allowed to climb all over his works!
Humpty Kid

Spilt martini glass. Or is it a flashlight?
Spilt Martini glass

Almost took some of these for myself.. I mean, we're in recession
Penny stacks

Penny stacks
People feet

Why is the cat tied up!?
Tied up cat

Binoculars

Penny people

5/23/11

Napping, Lunching, Lounging in the Grass

Some park-goers in Nelson A. Rockefeller Park, which is in Battery Park City between Warren and Chambers Street. I was there last weekend to check out a tour of some sculptures by Tom Otterness, also located in the park.

NAPPING

Napping on the grass



LOUNGING

View toward Jersey City skyline



LUNCHING

Lunching on the grass



And here is a better idea of the setting—everyone's relaxing in the grass in front of some of the luxury, residential mid & high-rises along River Terrace....

5/21/11

Tribeca Towers & Buildings...

If I could afford to live anywhere in Manhattan, it would be in Tribeca. Everything seems better down there—the buildings, restaurants, stores, waterfront views, transportation, etc.

Every time I am in that part of town, I am so impressed and inspired by the architecture and the atmosphere. It's the perfect mix of business district and residential/family friendly.

And as you can see, on a cloudy yet sunny day, I am constantly looking up and admiring the way these buildings and towers stand against the perfectly accented sky....


Frank Gehry's new residental condo downtown: New York
New York by Frank Gehry

The Cosmopolitan Hotel on the corner of Chambers Street & W. Broadway
The Cosmopolitan Hotel

View toward the Woolworth Building, one of the oldest skyscrapers in NYC on Broadway & Park Place
View from a parking lot

Tribeca buildings

Cool buildings on Chambers Street between Church & W. Broadway
Tribeca Street

5/19/11

New sculpture in Madison Square Park

When walking past Madison Square Park after one day, I had to stop and do a double take in disbelief. A tall, glowing white face with a warped shape was sticking out of the main lawn, set against a backdrop that included the similarly stretched Flat Iron Building and the surrounding trees.

This is by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, who based the sculpture off of a previous piece he did in England, titled "Dream." NYC's version of it is "Echo"—a young girl with a braid in her hair, standing 44 feet tall and made of polyester resin.

The St. Helens Star came across some of my photos of it on Twitter and used them in an article that ties this piece back to the original "Dream" sculpture Plensa did in St. Helens, England. Check it out!


"Echo" & the Clocktower

"Echo"

"Echo" & the Flat Iron

5/9/11

Cherry Blossom Festival at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

The annual Sakura Matsuri, or Cherry Blossom Festival, took place at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens recently and my friends and I went to enjoy the pink blossoms and picnic on the Cherry Esplanade! Also known as the 'Cherry Walk' we were sitting among hundreds of other park goers enjoying the musical entertainment up on stage and the very pricey bento boxes of sushi, vegetables and chicken teriyaki.

It was very crowded but it made for some interesting photos with all of the fluffy cherry blossoms and swarms of families and their kids.

The crowds at the Cherry Blossom Festival
Cherry Blossom Festival

Cherry Blossoms

Cherry Blossom and Japanese Hill and Pond
Cherry Blossom dipping into the Pond

Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden

After leaving the Festival grounds, I went into Shakespeare's Garden where I saw some Bleeding Hearts!
Bleeding Hearts

And tulips!
Orange flower dipping