Walk into almost any building at The New School, and you’ll be face-to-face with enormous works of art. Some of those artworks were created specifically for The New School, by the most important artists of the 20th and 21st Century. A new book, “I Stand in My Place with My Own Day Here: Site-Specific Art at The New School” offers the first broad overview of The New School art collection’s site-specific works.
The Free Press asked New School students which pieces resonated with them around campus. Check out some of their favorites below.
Agnes Denes, “Pascal’s Perfect Probability Pyramid & The People Paradox – The Predicament” (Seen in the image above)
Inside the cafeteria on the second floor of the University Center, this mural by contemporary artist Agnes Denes is located on the far right wall. The artwork depicts hundreds of people in line forming a sizable pyramid. This 18-by-24-foot converted drawing is hard to miss, covering a double-height wall. This piece was installed permanently in 2017, and is inspired by Denes’ widely recognized Pyramid Series.
“The blank wall is really big in the cafeteria and without any artwork or large installations, it will become very bland,” said Melissa Mui, a second-year photography major at Parsons. “With the pyramid, it makes the wall more unique, filling up space.”
Glenn Ligon, “For Comrades and Lovers”
At a glance, Glenn Ligon’s “For Comrades and Lovers” may appear solely as simple neon lights. The lights construct an iconic poem by Walt Whitman within its discreet location, wrapped around the first floor’s Event Café.
“It kind of gives you this cool edgy feeling right when you walk in the building,” said Susie Fordi, a second-year Journalism + Design major at Lang. This piece is popular with students. Audriana Basis, a second-year Culture & Media major also said, “I just think [the lights] make that whole area really cool and give it more of a New School vibe.”
Kara Walker, “Event Horizon”
This installation by Kara Walker spans two floors in Arnold Hall on West 13th St. It was Walker’s first major public art commission, and became widely recognized due to its depiction of the Underground Railroad, according to a New School Press Release.
Walker’s piece has been admired by students since its 2005 installation. “I learned about her in my high school art class and seeing her art in-person and come to life, literally in my school, is a crazy concept to me,” said Lauren Ruiz, a second-year integrated design major at Parsons. “I think that’s amazing that Kara Walker came into the school and created that piece for the space.”
Vic Muniz, “Me, Myself, and I”
In the University Center library, there is an enigmatic artwork of a puzzle that caught the attention of Maisie Rugen, a Lang senior studying contemporary music.
“I liked it a lot because the puzzle looks incredibly difficult,” Rugen said,“The only image on it is a puzzle piece in the center. I found it very ironic, impressive, and cohesive with the New School’s whole brand.”
Odili Donald Odita, “Authentic African”
On the fourth floor of the Lang building on West 11th St., there are four photographs covering a wall, each picturing the same individual in a different outfit. The photographs were completed by Odili Donald Odita in 1997, and the piece was bought by The New School in 1999. These are digitally manipulated photographs in which Odita poses himself in several outfits to protest the preconceived notions people have when judging external features of others.
“We associate a specific kind of career and lifestyle with people’s ethnicity and the color of their skin, and I feel like this is highlighting that,” said Ayesha Le Brenton, a second-year Journalism + Design major at Lang.
Martin Parr, “Mother and Daughter”
Martin Parr’s “Mother and Daughter” photographic print was taken in 1988, in Newport, Wales, UK. It is located in the lobby of Kerrey Hall and featured in the book, “The Cost of Living,” which is Parr’s “reflection on the impact of a decade of Thatcherism — the rise of the middle classes.”
“The thing that’s so stunning about this photo is the juxtaposition of characters, punk to old lady, yet they still interact in the same environment,” said David Dickenson (BA Photography ‘18). “It’s something special in his work that makes you realize we are all living here together so either be yourself or hide from his camera.”
These eye-catching pieces featured within The New School’s art collection not only spotlight creative expression by established artists, but speak to pressing themes of social and political issues of their time. Additional archival materials are accessible for each of the site-specific works on the art collection’s website.