In this new year, after delays in its building, an incredible cost ($4.5 thousand millions) and long years of construction, the first stage of Second Avenue Subway finally opened this January 1st.
This is the biggest actualization made to the subway in the last 50 years, so is the biggest install of permanent public art in the state’s history. There are large scale installations that cover the four stations of the Second Avenue Subway. Including the current stop in the 63rd and Lexington, this public works of art join the large underground art museum financed by the art program of MTA and commissioned by MTA Arts & Design.
Jean Shin, “Elevated” (2017), laminated glass, glass mosaic, and ceramic tile, at the Lexington Avenue–63rd Street station
Just as the last year new subway station – the 34th Street-Hudson Yards that has futurist art by Xenobia Bailey- the most striking feature are the mosaics. The big “Blueprint for a Landscape” by Sarah Sze can be found in the 96 street, the “Subway Portraits” by Chuck Closes look at the passersby of 86 street, the natural size figures of Vik Muniz resemble the totems of New Yorker diversity in 72 street and Jean Shin with his photographic archives reminds us about constructions in 63rd Street.
Let’s take a look to this new public art installation.
Jean Shin, “Elevated” (2017), laminated glass, glass mosaic, and ceramic tile, at the Lexington Avenue–63rd Street station
Jean Shin, “Elevated” (2017), laminated glass, glass mosaic, and ceramic tile, at the Lexington Avenue–63rd Street station
Jean Shin, “Elevated” (2017), laminated glass, glass mosaic, and ceramic tile, at the Lexington Avenue–63rd Street station
Jean Shin, “Elevated” (2017), laminated glass, glass mosaic, and ceramic tile, at the Lexington Avenue–63rd Street station
Chuck Close: “Subway Portraits”
Second Avenue–86th Street station
Chuck Close, “Subway Portraits” (2017), glass and ceramic mosaic, ceramic tile, at the Second Avenue–86th Street station
Chuck Close, “Subway Portraits” (2017), glass and ceramic mosaic, ceramic tile, at the Second Avenue–86th Street station
Chuck Close, “Subway Portraits” (2017), glass and ceramic mosaic, ceramic tile, at the Second Avenue–86th Street station
Sarah Sze: “Blueprint for a Landscape”
Second Avenue–96th Street station
Sarah Sze, “Blueprint for a Landscape” (2017), porcelain tile, at the Second Avenue–96th Street station
Sarah Sze, “Blueprint for a Landscape” (2017), porcelain tile, at the Second Avenue–96th Street station
