Yesterday, as I was walking through the Union Square Greengrocer’s Market in New York, I caught a glimpse of a silver mirage gleaming in the sunlight. At first I thought it was one of those amazing statuesque street performers who have become more elaborate in their portrayals of monuments. In fact, this one was flawless, from metallic make-up to static stance. Good show!
This dreary early morning, he was still standing motionless atop a pedestal of stone. So I ambled over and learned, to my surprise, he was actually a real statue. And not only that, he was a statue of Andy Warhol, whose Factory was only a few yards away and who stands only a few blocks from Park Avenue South where Max’s Kansas City once was (now an out-of-business Korean deli).
Public Art is a wonderful thing. I’m always impressed how creative the city and its artists can be. And how surprising many of the public art feats are. “The Andy Monument,” produced by the Public Art Fund is by Rob Pruitt and is on view until Oct 2. Bring your own soup cans.
