Anish Kapoor’s Giant, Giant Thing Is Done

 
We’ve been waiting for successful, rights-conscious artist Amish Kapoor to unveil his 1400-ton ArcelorMittal Orbit Tower, UK’s largest public artwork and there it is in London, looking like an “oil rig twisting on itself” or a broken roller coaster. The real thing (right) is just a bit less impressive than its digital rendering (left). Womp womp? Just like the giant worm he packed inside the Grand Palais in Paris, such giant things require swarms of comparably tiny, tiny people to highlight its size and gusto. Peek-squeak “wows!” optional.

By on December 20, 2011 at 3:20 pm
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Artist’s Public Art Contract Might Be Terminated Over Dog Snuff Past

Every time Brooklyn artist Tom Otterness lands a big public art commission — like adorning a NYPL in Battery Park with his cutesy, rotund figurines –  that bit about him shooting a shelter dog on film comes up. After complaints from the San Francisco Animal Commission, the Arts Commission is meeting to decide whether to revoke Otterness’ entire $1.4 million contract with the city. Read more »

By on November 15, 2011 at 11:00 am
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Councilman and Self-Proclaimed Art Critic Hates Skywriting

Smug councilman Peter Vallone Jr. aka “The Man Who Hates Graffiti,”  is on a new crusade: anti-public art! “The arts are supposed to generate conversation but not apprehension and fear,” he grumbled, reprimanding Kim Beck’s skywriting project and presumably, any art that can be misinterpreted by terror-phobics and people with a lack of imagination. (Photo: Bowery Boogie)

By on October 11, 2011 at 10:40 am
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Luzinterruptus Street Crew Puts Glowing Nipples on Everything

Luzinterruptus
Luzinterruptus
Luzinterruptus
Luzinterruptus


De-light-ful Spanis interventionists Luzinterruptus have taken over Madrid’s public art. Why so serious? So guarded? So heavily under video surveillance, behind fences, huffy, unwelcoming? In a three hour installation Touch! Play! Nothing Happens!, the crew outfitted the city’s statues and sculptures with many, many glow-bulb-equipped nipples. Nipples all over! Nipples! Nipples! Nipples! For a moment there, the stone slabs and blobs were that much more approachable, huggable and pinch-able. Tee-hee-hee.

By on October 4, 2011 at 5:30 pm
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‘Tourist in Chief’ Approved by the Parks Department!

ANIMAL is happy to report that public artist Leon Reid IV has finally received permission from the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation to dress up the Union Square Park’s statue of George Washington as Tourist-In-Chief, blinged out in oversized props of mock tourist regalia. It’s been a long, long fight, but art fun has triumphed over snooty bureaucracy. Part of the Art In Odd Places festival, the work will be on view this Saturday, 8am to 7pm. Hurray!

 

By on September 30, 2011 at 10:00 am
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Replace Wall Street’s Charging Bull With a Bison

“We no longer live in Bear and Bull times… Get ready for the Age of the Bison!” The “publicly funded” project Wall Street Bison wants to “legally” ditch the Bowling Green Bull and replace it with a more appropriate mammal mascot. Why bison? Read more »

By on September 20, 2011 at 11:01 am
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David Byrne Squeezes the Whole World Under the High Line


Artist and bike hero David Byrne has wedged a giant, inflatable globe into the Pace Gallery-owned lot at 508 West 25th Street, right under the High Line. It’s not bloated. It’s confined! The Tight Spot installation also makes “filtered and processed” moans with the Talking Heads frontman “trying to make [his] voice sound like a machine, or like wind buffeting a big sail.” Oh, you quirky siren. Let’s go hug the big ball now! Read more »

By on September 14, 2011 at 11:45 am
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Defiant Breast Painter Returns to Times Square

Veteran public artist (of sorts) and NYPD irritation Andy Golub strikes yet again. He is currently painting topless ladies in Times Square, which is legal — and ANIMAL is on the scene with 21-year-old model Zoe West. She is going full-frontal — which is not lewd if done in the name of art. She says she’s posed nude before, but never in Times Square and there’s an emergency g-string with her name on it, if worst comes to worst. Stay tuned for more NFSW visuals. (Photos: ANIMALNewYork)

By on August 30, 2011 at 2:54 pm
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Tourist-in-Chief and Community Board Vs The Parks Department: It’s On!

Brooklyn public artist Leon Reid IV presented his case to the Community Board 5 last night and pwned the Parks Department. Even though the Parks Department emailed ahead to “deny” Reid’s Tourist in Chief installation permit, Reid proved that decking out Union Square’s George Washington statue in tourist bling for 13 hours would delight and educate the public and pointed out that the statue has been embellished as early as 1861 and as recently as 2008 by the Parks Department itself when they draped it with flowers for Arbor Day. Read more »

By on August 30, 2011 at 11:04 am
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Tourist-in-Chief Vs. Upside-Down Elephant Art for Union Square

The New York Parks Department rejected Tourist in Chief, but Brooklyn artist Leon Reid IV still wants to deck out Union Square’s Washington statue in over-sized tourist bling. The artist tells ANIMAL that he will be presenting his project before the Community Board 5 Monday, Aug 29 at 6pm.  Read more »

By on August 24, 2011 at 10:00 am
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