NYPD: Rooftop Figures Just Art, Not People in Distress
1010WINS
March 9, 2010
New York (AP/1010 WINS) — The New York Police Department wants the public to know that the figures soon to be gazing down from buildings near a midtown park are an artist’s body casts — not residents in distress.
The department was worried the upcoming outdoor exhibit might spark 911 calls of possible jumpers, so it wanted to alert the public, said police spokesman Paul Browne.
On Tuesday, the first sculpture of the installation, called “Event Horizon,” was placed on top of a building that houses Pentagram Design’s New York offices.
“We have a new staffer here at our offices at 204 Fifth Avenue; he doesn’t say much, and spends most of his time up on the roof, gazing at the skyline,” the company said on its Web site.
By nightfall, the figure was a dark sillhouette against the sky.
The work by British artist Antony Gormley consists of 31 life-size figures of the artist’s body cast in iron and glass fiber. The sculptures will be installed on pathways, sidewalks and rooftops of buildings surrounding Madison Square Park for an exhibit beginning March 26…
The installation will be on view through Aug. 15. Read the rest of this article here.