upper room essays

upper room essays When an artist displays a work of art in a public place such as Battery Park City, he or she must take into consideration the degree of interaction that may take place between the public and their work of art. When I spoke with the artist of The Upper Room, Ned Smyth, he explained his intention of the publics interaction with his sculpture was to be both physical and emotional. In this paper, I will discuss the different issues that have made his intent a success. First, I will address the impact that the physical appearance of the work has on the public, and why. The Upper Room is constructed from concrete with inlayed stone and glass mosaic. It is a large-scale sculpture, yet it is very welcoming to the eye of the public and not overpowering. The sense of feeling invited into the piece comes partly from the pastel pink color of the concrete and the mystery of the mosaic pattern that is inlayed into it. The artists dynamic use of space also creates an inviting aura. There are steps leading up to a colonnade, which is not attached to an actual building. This is unusual when studying the history of architecture. The entire room was created by a series of surrounding columns, none of which are attached to any sort of wall or ceiling. The artist explained to me that he wanted to create an interior "room" as a part of the exterior environment he was given to display his work in. He wanted to create a space, rather then to create an object. He chose not to have an enclosed area, because that would make the work separate from the environment and the people in that environment as well. The space in which The Upper Room is displayed is an important issue when discussing the physical and emotional interactions of the public. The sculpture is located in Battery Park City, at the end of Albany Street at the Esplanade. As people walk along the path, they can visually see the sculpture, which is off to the side. It ...