Ordinary Objects in Unusual Places

Artists in Open Studio at Pier 57 took a cue from British sculptor Phyllida Barlow to create multimedia artworks inspired by PRANK, currently on view in City Hall Park. 

PRANK features familiar objects often found at home or in an artist’s studio that are rotated, repeated, and stacked to create awkward, improbable structures.

In a similar vein, kids challenged traditional sculptural values by placing an everyday object, such as a chair or bed, in an irregular place, like the ocean or outer space. Students selected subjects at random, then created a scene based on their selections. 

This resulted in some delightfully odd pairings, such as an intricately sculpted dining room (complete with a bouquet of flowers!) set within a dinosaur’s lair.