An investigation reveals--yes, several scraps of fabric have been tied to the trees. And they do kind of look like plastic bags. Only more colorful. Some are glittery. What's it all for?
The mystery only deepens when, blocks away on 5th Avenue and 14th Street, another tree is found to have scraps of fabric tied to its limbs as well. But these scraps are not colorful or glittery. They're plain white, like bandages, and printed with wishes. "I wish..." they say.
Are the two instances related? Is it political? Is it like the AIDS, breast cancer, etc., etc., ribbons? Something for the survivors of the Japanese tsunami? For Libya, for Egypt, for Wisconsin?
Is one an artist's replication of an urban trash phenomenon (bags in trees) while the other is merely the work of a wistful tree wisher? If they're not related, how could both happen at the same time?
Meanwhile, over on Gansevoort Street, after long lying vacant the wedge-shaped former Yohji Yamamoto boutique has been outfitted with neon sculptures, and the fence behind it is draped with a giant banner reading ART IS NOT ART IS...
Is an art gallery moving in?
No, it's a set for a CBS television pilot called "Ringer," starring former vampire slayer Sarah Michelle Gellar. So the neon sculptures are not art, but a television set designer's idea of art. Or is that the same thing?
Across town, a silver sculpture of Andy Warhol appears in Union Square. People leave offerings at his feet--Campbell's soup cans, a box of Brillo pads, a banana.
People gather around and take the statue's picture. Other people take pictures of people taking pictures.
In the end, somehow, it all seems like a very Andy sort of day.
10 comments:
So tying plastic bags onto trees is art now?
So if I take turds out of my cat's
litter box and strategically place them in places around the city is that art too?
Tinfoil Andy hurts the eyes! Perfect location though, staring down Gandhi a couple blocks away: Warhol's vacant, superficial, and utterly commercial world rules.
the plastic bags look like garbage that blew in the wind, landed on the tree. the warhol sculpture looks good.
An Andy day indeed! I'm going to check out that sculpture tonight. First I need to get some sunglasses to shield my eyes from the shiny.
Hi robert, if you strategically placed the turds around the city, that would very Dada. Now if you whimsically placed litter boxes around the city, signed them, and titled each "phone booth" nos. 1,2, etc... then I think those could be considered readymades a la Marcel Duchamp, paying a nice tribute to the forefather of pop art. If you decorate the turds, that would make them poop art, which has already been done. The Dept of Sanitation and commuters would hate your guts, you'd probably be hit with hefty fines, but whether or not it's art, would be up for grabs (but hopefully not literally). Can anyone back me up here? I think got most of it right. :)
Not neon. Fluorescent fixtures.
you're right, fluorescent--even less artful! thanks.
Claribel,
Continuing in that vein, if I stand
on the street and smear the turds on myself, then that covers the
performance art angle?
Ha! maximum bob, good grief, please don’t! But yes! I think that definitely qualifies. While I’m no advocate of turd art, I must admit that it’s got more range. Ribbons around a tree are very Tony Orlando and Dawn to me, very safe.
so much of modern art is BS. andy warhol was very talented in drawing etc. dont forget he went to carnegie tech, his works on paper wonderful. & his conceptual work really did make a statement. originally it was a joke or a dare. he said cambells soup is 40 cents a can. i bet the rich will pay $4000, or $40000. he was right! then he worked w/the dollar symbol coke bottle etc. his work is iconic. its like a time capsule of the modern age. like documentation. most of what we see these days (like plastic bags on trees), are nothing. pretentious w/no visual sense, no strong statement. kind of academic collegey bs.
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