Snapdragons

These images of colorful snapdragons were taken at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx.

STATEN ISLAND FERRY

Earlier today, I took the Staten Island Ferry and made photos of the sights during the short ride including the Statue of Liberty, lower Manhattan, and one of Olafur Eliasson's "Waterfalls" on Governors Island.

From the Staten island Ferry website:

The Staten Island Ferry provides 20 million people a year (60,000 passengers a day not including weekend days) with ferry service between St. George on Staten Island and Whitehall Street in lower Manhattan. 

The ferry is the only non-vehicular mode of transportation between Staten Island and Manhattan. NYC DOT operates and maintains the nine vessel fleet as well as the St. George Ferry Terminal on Staten Island, Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Manhattan, the City Island and Hart Island Facilities, The Battery Maritime Building and all floating dock building equipment. 

The Staten Island Ferry is run by the City of New York for one pragmatic reason: To transport Staten Islanders to and from Manhattan. Yet, the 5 mile, 25 minute ride also provides a majestic view of New York Harbor and a no-hassle, even romantic, boat ride, for free! One guide book calls it "One of the world's greatest (and shortest) water voyages."

From the deck of the ferry you will have a perfect view of The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. You'll see the skyscrapers and bridges of Lower Manhattan receding as you pull away and coming into focus again as you return.

A typical weekday schedule involves the use of five boats to transport approximately 60,000 passengers daily (109 daily trips). During the day, between rush hours, boats are regularly fueled and maintenance work is performed. Terminals are cleaned around the clock and routine terminal maintenance is performed on the day shift. On weekends, three boats are used (75 trips each Saturday and 68 trips each Sunday). 

Over 35,000 trips are made annually.

FAUX NATURE: "The New York City Waterfalls" by Olafur Eliasson

These images were captured from the South Street Seaport last Thursday, June 26. A major network of temporary public art by internationally renowned artist OLAFUR ELIASSON called "THE NEW YORK CITY WATERFALLS" is on display at four waterfront locations in Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn and Governors Island. The display runs through October 13. 

From publicartfund.org:

Commissioned by the Public Art Fund, the project consists of four monumental, man-made waterfalls installed for three months at four sites along the shores of Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Governors Island: one by the Brooklyn anchorage of the Brooklyn Bridge, one between Piers 4 and 5 in Brooklyn, one in Lower Manhattan at Pier 35, and one on the north shore of Governors Island. The 90 to 120-foot tall installations, which have been designed to protect water quality and aquatic life, will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, and will be lit after sunset, adding a striking element to New York City's iconic skyline. Conceived by Eliasson and commissioned by the Public Art Fund, The New York City Waterfalls will showcase New York City's natural environment alongside the City's industrial and commercial landscape. Sited in the historic New York Harbor, which has served as the gateway to America for nearly four centuries and a point of origin for the City's growth, the Waterfalls will introduce a breathtaking element into the heart of New York's waterfront.

"In developing The New York City Waterfalls, I have tried to work with today's complex notion of public spaces," said Eliasson. "The Waterfalls appear in the midst of the dense social, environmental, and political tissue that makes up the heart of New York City. They will give people the possibility to reconsider their relationships to the spectacular surroundings, and I hope to evoke experiences that are both individual and enhance a sense of collectivity."

Born in Copenhagen in 1967, Eliasson is considered one of his generation's most influential artists. Throughout his career, he has taken inspiration from natural elements and phenomena, such as light, wind, fog, and water, to create sculptures and installations that evoke sensory experiences. He is perhaps best known for The weather project (2003) at Tate Modern in London, a giant sun made of 200 yellow lamps, mirrors and mist that transformed the museum's massive Turbine Hall and drew over 2 million visitors during its five-month installation.

"One of Eliasson's great strengths as an artist is his ability to captivate viewers, which he will do by integrating the spectacular beauty of nature into the urban landscape on a dramatic scale," said Steiner, curator of The New York City Waterfalls.

Eliasson's work often involves industrial materials that, when brought together, create dramatic installations that are as beautiful as they are unexpected. The New York City Waterfalls will be constructed using building elements that are ubiquitous throughout New York: scaffolding is the backbone of the structures, and pumps will bring water from the East River to the top; the water then falls from heights of 90 to 120 feet back into the river. Fish and aquatic life are protected by filtering the water through intake pools suspended in the river. To build the Waterfalls, Public Art Fund has partnered with Tishman Construction Corporation and has engaged a team of design, engineering and construction professionals.

The New York City Waterfalls will be visible by land and boat, and because of their proximity to one another, viewers will be able to see multiple waterfalls from various vantage points in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Governors Island. Dedicated boat journeys to view the Waterfalls, organized by the Public Art Fund in partnership with Circle Line Downtown, will leave from Pier 16 in Manhattan and will provide up-close views of the installations. The Circle Line will provide free and discounted trips daily for the public. The free Governors Island Ferry, which will run every Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the length of the project, and the Staten Island Ferry will also provide views of the waterfalls at Governors Island and between Piers 4 and 5 in Brooklyn. Recommended viewing sites and bike routes along the waterfront will be made available on free maps provided on the Waterfalls website, www.nycwaterfalls.org, and distributed throughout the City. The New York City Waterfalls is an example of the Administration's continuing commitment to cultural life and support of public art as a way to highlight the vitality of the City. To maximize Waterfalls-based tourism, NYC & Company is designing a marketing plan to attract visitors from around the world to New York to view the project.

"Being home to extraordinary artists and visionary cultural organizations is central to New York City's identity," said Commissioner Levin. "Together, Olafur Eliasson and the Public Art Fund are helping us reconsider how we perceive familiar spaces, and the Waterfalls offers an opportunity for New Yorkers and visitors alike to explore anew the City's rich natural and cultural landscapes."

"A Chorus Line" War: NICK ADAMS vs MARIO LOPEZ

I captured this photo of A CHORUS LINE star NICK ADAMS on June 21st at the stagedoor of the Gerald Schenfeld Theatre. In the background is a big crowd waiting to take a glimpse of Adams' co-star, MARIO LOPEZ.
From mostbeautifulman.com:
Nick Adams, born June 10, 1983, in Erie, Pennsylvania, is an American dancer, best known for his role as Larry in the Broadway revival of "A Chorus Line" opposite Mario Lopez. Adams has been onstage from the age of nine and began his professional career at sixteen. He earned a BFA in Musical Theatre with a minor in Dance at the prestigious Boston Conservatory of Music. Since his graduation in 2005, his career has taken off. Adams' first show after moving to New York City was the international tour of "Chicago" the musical. He then joined the Broadway company of Chicago later that year as the Mary Sunshine standby. Adams then moved on to become part of the original Broadway cast of "The Pirate Queen," where his voice can be heard on the cast recording with Sony Records. In 2008, Adams landed his big break when he starred as Larry, along side co-star Mario Lopez, in the hit Broadway revival of "A Chorus Line." The New York Post recently hailed Nick as having the best biceps on Broadway. HX magazine raves that Adams gives, "dance ten, looks ten" as Larry, and Perez Hilton describes him as, "hot and built." Adams' physique can be seen in upcoming advertisements for "2xist Underwear." His television appearances include: "Dancing With The Stars," "The View," "The Today Show," and "The Early Show." When Adams is not working, he enjoys spending time at the gym, taking class, dinning out, Central Park, and fundraising for Broadway Cares. He is represented by DGRW Talent INC, Choice Model Management, and CESD.

From Queerty.com

The war between A Chorus Line costars Mario Lopez and Nick Adams continues!

We all know that Lopez stopped Adams’ biceps from stealing the show, but apparently the former Saved By The Bell actor can’t control everything.

Underwear company 2(x)ist had been considering Lopez for an upcoming ad campaign, however the younger Adams landed the gig.

“Mario was originally No. 1 on our radar as we planned the campaign,” said an insider. “We were ready to call him with an offer, but then we saw Nick. He’s younger, sexy, more interesting. On top of that, his body was crazy. We set up a meeting, and when he walked in, that was it. We never even looked at anyone else after that.”

Jason Scarlatti, 2(x)ist’s creative director, gave final approval. He told us, “Nick’s very masculine, sexy, modern. It’s totally all about his body. Mario is a good-looking guy, but Nick had it. He’s up and coming, the new face of sexy. He’s original. He’s hot.”

So hot, in fact, that we featured him on Morning Goods just this week!

The aforementioned ad, meanwhile, will debut in Out’s August issue.

From nymag.com:

Mario Lopez and Nick Adams star together in A Chorus Line. Both wear tank tops in the production, kind of like you see above. You've probably noticed they both have very nice figures. Underwear company 2(x)ist noticed, too. In fact, they were so taken with Mario's lovely manly humps, they planned to use him in an ad campaign. The New York Post reports:

"Mario was originally No. 1 on our radar as we planned the campaign," said an insider. "We were ready to call him with an offer, but then we saw Nick. He's younger, sexy, more interesting. On top of that, his body was crazy. We set up a meeting, and when he walked in, that was it. We never even looked at anyone else after that."

Henri Bendel

This is HENRI BENDEL's artful window display at its Fifth Avenue store. Located at 712 Fifth Avenue (between 55th and 56th Streets), Henri Bendel is a small, chic establishment, resembling a grand townhouse more than a department store. The store has beautiful winding stairs. This is the place to come for the latest fashions from America's most desired designers. The first floor is a cosmetics shrine. Although all the biggest designers are represented here, one of the most desirable items is the store's trademark brown and white striped shopping bag (perfect for looking trendy while you stroll along Fifth Avenue).

James Yamada's OUR STARRY NIGHT

This is a new sculpture by James Yamada entitled Our Starry Night, now on display at Doris C. Freedman Plaza at Fifth Avenue and 60th Street. 

Fom publicartfund.org:

Built from powder coated aluminum and punctuated with 1,900 colored LED lights, Our Starry Night is a 12-foot-tall sculpture that acts as an interactive passageway to Central Park. As visitors to the park walk through the sculpture at all hours of the day and night, it will illuminate in response to each person individually.

When visitors walk through the portal in the piece, they trigger a metal detector hidden inside the structure's casing. This activates the LED lights that perforate the exterior of the sculpture. Common everyday metal objects such as cell phones, keys, belts, jewelry, cameras, computers, and the like will trigger the lights; the luminosity and the light patterns seen in the piece will correspond to the quantity of metal detected. Our Starry Night is literally activated by the public, reinforcing the notion that art — and particularly public art — is dependent on the people around it.

The sculpture will only be illuminated while the participant is standing within the passageway, and therefore he or she will not be able to see the light patterns being created on the exterior surfaces. The lighting will instead be visible to passersby on the street corner and in the park, who will see the faade of the sculpture illuminate. Those passersby will be the receivers of the information and will be in a position to observe the correspondence between how much metal each participant is carrying and how that will be revealed on the surface of the sculpture.

In this work, Yamada calls our attention to the expanding, yet increasingly subtle presence of surveillance in the contemporary world. It also points towards such philosophical and political considerations as the loss of privacy in the name of greater safety and the use of personal information. By aesthetically and physically engaging viewers, Yamada questions these topics, and in so doing, involves us in the way information is revealed and used.

Yamada works in a variety of media and has previously created interactive works that have included aspects of nature, satellites, weather, and wildlife, among other themes. For example, his sculpture Under a Brilliant Sky (2004) which was exhibited at Art Basel, consists of a light-box sign displaying the title of the piece, which Yamada connected to a solar panel installed outdoors; the phrase then glowed and dimmed with the sun, in effect, creating a portrait of the sky.

About James Yamada

James Yamada was born in Bat Cave, North Carolina in 1967, and received his MFA in painting from Yale University in 1993. He has had recent exhibitions at Raucci/Santamaria Gallery, Naples; Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York; Momenta Art, Brooklyn, New York; and Sculpture Center and P.S.1, both in Long Island City, New York. Yamada lives and works in Brooklyn.

Location and Directions

Our Starry Night will be on view at Doris C. Freedman Plaza, at 60th Street and Fifth Avenue, at the entrance to Central Park. Subways: N, R to Fifth Avenue; 4, 5, 6 to 59th St/Lexington Ave. The work is free to the public and is on view daily.