 DANEHY PARK
Artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles first got involved
in the 55-acre former dumpsite, now Danehy Park, in 1990.
Entitled "Turnaround/Surround," her multi-faceted project
encompasses a half-mile long 'glassphalt' path that traverses
the central mound in the park, providing access to the top,
and a planting plan for the mound. The work currently in progress
consists of two celebratory circular spaces made of recycled
rubber at the top of the mound. One of these rubber discs
is a flat urban dance floor for dancers on foot or in wheelchairs,
with an image of a galaxy, "almost as if a piece of the sky
had plopped down on top of this earth." The second disc will
contain two "throne-couches." A sculptured cape will be casually
draped over the back of each throne to express a sense of
relaxation and of being "at home" - as if the "Queen" or "King"
of the hill had slipped off the royal robes with majestic
flourish. In the fourth phase, Ukeles will extend the notion
of access and the availability of this public place further
and bring it to public attention by involving members of the
different cultures of this diverse area and other park users
in a creative interaction. This individual local richness
will become part of the meaning of open common space, a "community
fabric to be treasured together." (More information on "Turnaround/Surround"
can be found on our
public art tour, map no. 2.)
Ukeles is best known for public art centering around waste and urban maintenance issues, including on-site installations and performances in New York City sanitation facilities. She is currently working on large-scale commissions for the Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island, New York. Ukeles is the recipient of the Andy Warhol Foundation Grant, Guggenheim Fellowship, and numerous National Endowment for the Arts grants. |
