Day 3831: NYC Bean and SuperBowl 31.

 

 

"Chaos": junk mail collage, ink, digital.

 

 

 

 

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2GN2S ...

Anish Kapoor's newest 'bean' nests on the street of NYC

At long last, Anish Kapoor‘s first permanent public work in New York reaches completion, the amorphous and reflective sculpture commonly known as The Bean. The work is snugly squeezed beneath the cantilevering slabs shading the base of 56 Leonard Street, the 2017-built ‘Jenga’ tower designed by Herzog & de Meuron and Hill West Architects. It shows clear influence from his well-known Cloud Gate sculpture in Chicago — the original ‘Bean.’ Now a recognizable addition to the city’s skyline, the building houses a four-bedroom apartment which Kapoor himself had purchased in 2016.

Residents in New York’s neighborhood of Tribeca have long been plagued by the sights and sounds of the Bean’s installation, which first began in 2019. While it was no surprise that its fabrication would prove challenging, the colossal artwork was perhaps more complex than anticipated. In fact, the means by which the seamless finish was achieved were both proprietary and without precedent. Overall, the work comprises thirty-eight stainless steel panels, meticulously welded together over a supportive framework. In total, it measures a massive forty-eight feet long and nineteen feet tall, weighing forty tons. 

  

   After all works had been halted through the COVID pandemic — and resumed in September 2021 — the reflective skin even allegedly ruptured due to heat differences between its shaded and sunlit surfaces. And yet, throughout a string of roadblocks, the Bean has ultimately reached its seamless completion to mark a new sculptural icon for New York.

   Anish Kapoor introduces the sculpture, known as The Bean, as a captivating addition to the vibrant sidewalks of Tribeca. In its solitude, the work offers a moment of respite from the city — its reflective surface welcoming passersby to pause and explore the distorted city-scape, themselves immersed in its reflective environment. Thus, the work creates an intimate connection with the viewer. By day, the sculpture is a beacon of light while by night, its reflective surface is illuminated by its surroundings.
 

 

 

Did you watch Super Bowl 57 today? I have a quick survey, please reply with the right number for you?

1. You really watched the whole Super Bowl?

2. You were there but you really didn't watch much or at all?

3. You skipped the Super Bowl and did ________________?

 

I vaguely remember the first Super Bowl. As I remember, it wasn't as big a deal as it is now? My biggest memory was 26 years ago, so I guess Super Bowl 31? I was in the throws of a hard divorce after 33 years, sold the house and was moving into the condo that I live in now. It necessitated putting boxes and stuff in a storage unit. I needed to move that stuff to my new garage, in order not to pay another month's rent. My kind student, Brandon Nomura, somehow volunteered to help me. So while you may have been watching SuperBowl 31, we were making trips from Anaheim Hills to Tustin. Many trips, many boxes, and stuff! Later when I was praising Brandon to his parents, Jean and Craig, they said "Our Brandon?" I guess it was unusual for a teenager? I think about it every Super Bowl.

 

 

 

A 2 minute video, Made with Love, here.

 

Just because ...

 

Sandhill Pin Grouse

 

 

Smiles for Monday ...

 

   

 

   

  

   

 

 

 

                             Thanks for coming by today ...