Art

Ever wondered what's the story behind NYC's ubiquitous outdoor monuments

  “Flirtacious” 1962 Photograph: Bert Stern Happy birthday to Marilyn! To celebrate the late icon's birthday month, a gallery in Nolita is presenting a photography exhibit of rare images taken throughout her lifetime.  The collection will arrive at Pop International Galleries at 195 Bowery on June 21, with a free opening event from 7 to 9pm that evening. To score a spot at the opening night event, just email MarilynMonroeRSVP@popinternational.com.  Monroe is a staple in pop art in NYC, but this particular exhibit goes beyond the bright primary colors of Andy Warhol. The photos on display include both color and black-and-white works from seven different photographers. Most of them are hand-signed by the photogs, who include Bert Stern, George Barris and Laslow Willinger. One of the oldest ones on display is from 1945, taken by William Carroll, back when Monroe was known as Norma Jean. (She began going by Marilyn Monroe in 1946 and legally changed her name in 1956.) There’s also a topless photo of Monroe, accurately titled “Not Bad For 36." Check out some of the retro images from the photography exhibit below:      “Norma Jean” 1945, printed 2010 Photograph: William Carroll       “Norma Jean” 1945, printed 2010 Photograph: William Carroll       From The Last Photos 1962, printed In 1987 Photograph: George Barris       “Glamour Shot” 1949 Photograph: Laslow Willinger       “ Not Bad For 36" 1962 Photograph: Bert Stern   If the

If you've been down in the Financial District lately, you've probably noticed that the perpetually grey construction site around the World Trade Center site has been given a bright splash of color. The colorful murals are courtesy of Silverstein Properties in a partnership with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which has invited a group of street artists to vibrantly transform the streets surrounding the newly opened 3 World Trade Center with their work. Artists from around the world—including Todd Gray, Hektad BoogieRez, Stickymonger, Chinon Maria and Sebastian Mitre—have since brought their creative vision to the large metal structure that houses the skyscraper’s heating and cooling equipment. The bright walls now provide a stark contrast to the gleaming white Oculus transit hub located across the street. Check out some of the bright art drawing people downtown below. 👋🏼👩🏻 . . . . @stickymonger #stickymonger #newyork #nyc #fidi #financialdistrict #art #mural #cosmictraveler #fomofeeddowntown #streetart A post shared by Tiffany Liem (@tiffany_liem) on Jun 3, 2018 at 5:43pm PDT #whenpeoplematchplaces 🚶🏿‍♀️ ____________________________________ #nyc #worldtradecenter #manhattan #missnyc #lovenyc #newyork #newyorkcity #busystranger A post shared by Maria Klein (@lifebyklein) on Jun 18, 2018 at 10:13am PDT ❤️💛💜 #manhattan #monday #mondaymood #morning #love #mural #worldtradecenter A post shared by lulebis

A post shared by Elke Wong (@elkquakes) on May 20, 2018 at 1:30pm PDT Midtown East will soon be going to the dogs—specifically a 38-foot-tall Dalmatian outside a new addition to the NYU Langone hospital complex at 34th Street and First Avenue. It's also balancing a yellow cab on its nose. The canine in question is actually a giant sculpture by artist Donald Lipski, the latest addition to New York's considerable line-up of outdoor art projects and civic monuments. Constructed out of fiberglass and steel, Spot, as it's called, is meant to offer a lighthearted welcome to patients and their parents entering the new Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital, which is opening in June. Lipski is know for installations and public artworks that mess with our expectations of scale. For instance, he's behind the sculptures of musical instruments and ballet costumes hanging over La Guardia High School's front door. Here, he pulls off a sort of double stupid pet trick: The cab is actually a real Toyota Prius. Spot will sit at it's current, uh, spot for the foreseeable future. Who's a gooood boy? Photograph: Courtesy NYU Langone/Donald Lipski   Photograph: Courtesy NYU Langone/Donald Lipski   Sign up to receive great Time Out deals in your inbox each day.

While Huang Yong Ping’s installation might make you think that you’ve stumbled upon a sand sculpting contest somewhere, this ain’t Coney Island or the Hamptons. It’s Barbara Gladstone Gallery in Chelsea, and technically, Huang’s piece isn't even made of sand: It's made from a mixture of sand and concrete. Even so, his handiwork is impressive, resembling as it does something Optimus Prime might have created during a trip to Jones Beach. Photograph: David Regen, courtesy the artist and Gladstone Gallery, New York and Brussels Weighing in at 20 tons and measuring 11 by 19 by 14 feet, Bank of Sand, Sand of Bank, as it’s called, is a replica of the former HSBC Bank in Shanghai, an ornate neoclassical structure erected in 1923. After the Chinese Revolution in 1949, the building became headquarters for the Communist Municipal People’s Government. During the 1990s, it changed hands again, becoming home to Pudong Development Bank. The story of this imposing edifice bouncing back and forth between capitalist and communist ownership is the sort of historical irony that Huang has trafficked in previously with replicas of the Pentagon, the Roman Coliseum and Osama Bin Laden’s hideaway in Pakistan transformed into planters. Here, the fragile, sand castle-like appearance of the sculpture is meant to suggest that even powerful institutions are vulnerable to the vicissitudes of history. If you want to check it out for yourself, Bank of Sand, Sand of Bank is at 530 W 21st street until J