Bascove's "A Walk In The Park" At Central Park's Arsenal Gallery
Gothic Bridge, 94th St., 26" x 42", oil on canvas, Bascove © 2008
The Arsenal Gallery is pleased to present A Walk in the Park, an exhibition celebrating the vibrant diversity of Central Park’s bridges by New York based artist Bascove. In her bold oil paintings and drawings, Bascove shares her fascination with these structures by capturing their individuality. The exhibit will open on June 18 and will run to August 13.
“Parks & Recreation is pleased to welcome the innovative work of Bascove to the Arsenal Gallery,” said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “Inspired by the work of Olmsted and Vaux, her imaginative interpretations of Central Park’s historic bridges highlight the seamless blend of functionality and artistry that can be found throughout the park. A Walk in the Park is sure to compel visitors to revisit these landmark structures this summer.”
When Central Park was designed in 1858, it was fitted with an intricate composition of pedestrian paths, bridal trails, and drives. To maintain its integrity as a park, while catering to the various modes of transportation needed in an urban setting, the park’s designers included over 40 unique arched bridges to provide pedestrians with unbroken pathways, most of which remain today.
Throughout her career, Bascove has painted many of New York City’s bridges, from the Verrazano Bridge to the Harlem River Bridges, using curved geometrical strokes and vivid colors to render monumental structures. For this exhibition she has concentrated on Central Park and the arched structures that span its waterways, roads, and paths. Although these bridges are smaller in scale than others in New York, Bascove treats each bridge as a grand object allowing the details of its construction and the frenetic park life surrounding it to shine through.
For over two decades, her work has been exhibited regularly in New York and Paris. Her work is represented by galleries in New York City, Los Angeles, Paris, and Kent, CT., and found in many private and public collections, including: The Museum of the City of New York, The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, The Norwalk Transit District, Time Warner, the Oresman Collection, and the Musée of Cherbourg.
The Gallery wishes to thank Thomas Paul Fine Art, of Los Angeles, for its generous support of this exhibition.
The Arsenal Gallery is dedicated to examining themes of nature, urban space, and wildlife, in the context of New York City parks and their history. Works in this exhibition are for sale. A portion of proceeds supports the Arsenal Gallery and Parks’ Public Art Program. The Gallery is located on the third floor of the Park’s headquarters in Central Park, on Fifth Avenue at 64th Street. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gallery closed on holidays. Admission is free.
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QUOTATION FOR THE DAY
“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.”
Edgar Degas
(1834 – 1917)