Friday, January 9, 2009
Christian Jankowski's LIVING SCULPTURES: Dali Woman, El Che, Caesar
These
are CHRISTIAN JANKOWSKI's Living Sculptures: a figure known as Salvador
Dali's "The Anthropomorphic Cabinet Woman", the revolutionary leader
Che Guevarra, and "Caesar," now installed at Central Park's Dorris
Freedman Plaza.
From the Public Art Fund website:
Through
April 2009, visitors to Central Park's Doris C. Freedman Plaza will
come across three sculptures by Christian Jankowski that may require a
second look from passersby. New Yorkers and tourists alike are
accustomed to seeing the occasional performer on the streets of our
city, entertaining crowds with dance, magic or impersonation. When
visitors encounter Jankowski's Living Sculptures, they may at first
think they are seeing three street performers, surprisingly motionless
and grouped together. In actuality, the figures are bronze sculptures
that reference the tradition of professional street performers who
strike poses as historical or fantastical characters for passersby.
Specifically these works draw inspiration from three street performers
Jankowski observed and selected from a public thoroughfare in Barcelona
that regularly present themselves as the likenesses of a Roman
legionnaire who refers to himself as "Caesar", the revolutionary leader
Che Guevara, and an enigmatic woman inspired by a figure known as "The
Anthropomorphic Cabinet Woman" created by artist Salvador Dali.
Jankowski's
sculptures are, in essence, statues of people performing as statues.
Representing modern day figures, both real and imagined, they are
exceptionally life-like, though solid bronze in their composition. Their
human scale and figurative representation beckon viewers to come close,
consider whether they are real people, pose next to them for photos,
and perhaps even leave a few coins in appreciation. The installation of
Living Sculptures at the entrance to Central Park is especially fitting
given that it is a favored and prominent spot for public sculptures as
well as some of the New York's actual street performers, including a
frequent impersonator of the Statue of Liberty.
