Tuesday, October 24, 2023 – A MYTH COMES TO LIFE IN UNION SQUARE

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OUR HEARTS GO OUR TO OUR FRIENDS, FAMILIES AND NEIGHBORS IN ISRAEL

FROM THE ARCHIVES

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24,  2023

NEW SEWER ALLIGATOR

ART IN

UNION SQUARE

IS INSPIRED BY NYC MYTH

ISSUE#  1108

UNTAPPED NEW YORK

In 2015, Untapped New York writer Thomas Hynes asked a pressing question to a representative of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. “Are there now or have there ever been alligators in the New York City sewer system?”

Legend has it that in the early 20th century, wealthy New Yorkers would vacation to warm states like Louisiana and Florida, bringing back with them baby alligators as souvenirs. Once these gators got bigger and their owners realized New York was not the appropriate home for them, they would be flushed down the toilet to live and reproduce in our city sewer system. Despite the response that came back from the Department denying any existence of sewer alligators, New Yorkers have remained fascinated with this mythical concept

Photo by Jane Kratochvil

The myth comes back to life with a new statue unveiled on Tuesday, October 17th; a life-sized bronze alligator perched on the back of a manhole lid. This piece of alligator art, titled NYC Legend, was crafted by Swedish artist Alexander Klingspor, famous for his gorgeous bronze work. A smaller version of the gator was displayed at the 2022 London Art Fair, only now having the full-sized piece unveiled in exactly the city where it belongs.

In Klingspor’s description of the sculpture, he says that it’s inspired by two themes he noticed in our world. The first is the fact that our civilization still very much needs gods and mythical creatures as did the humans that came before us. Our natural desire for the supernatural is simply not as visible as it once was, but it surely still exists in the backdrop (or sewers) of our daily lives. The second theme aims at exposing our modern habit of taking animals out of their natural environment and putting them where we see fit, creating an endless cycle of invasive species.

Photo by Jane Kratochvil

Alligators themselves have made themselves an integral part of mythology spanning thousands of years, symbolizing survival and the ability to regrow and adapt. New Yorkers have consistently proven they have the thick skin of a gator- through a pandemic, economic downfall, a terrorist attack, and beyond. Klingspor’s statue is a personification of this resilient New York spirit.

Alligator art sculpture in Union Square

At the Thompson Central Park New York, a short distance uptown from Union Square, there is a highly-anticipated public art exhibition featuring more of Klingspor’s work where visitors can also get a behind-the-scenes into the artist’s creative process of bringing NYC Legend to life. This exhibition will be on display within the hotel’s newly unveiled ground floor atrium through November. The alligator sculpture, NYC Legends, will be on display in Union Square’s Triangle Park through June 2024.

OUR JULIA GASH TAPESTRY THROWS HAVE ARRIVED.

100 % COTTON
48″  x  60″
MADE IN USA
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TUESDAY PHOTO OF THE DAY

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MONDAY PHOTO OF THE DAY

A BELLOWS ON DISPLAY AT THE 

MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
THE DESCRIPTION SAYS:BELLOWS, UNKOWN MAKER, C.1820
WOOD,LATHER, BRASS AND PAINT
GIFT OF MYRS.LYMAN RHOADES, 1953 (5394)

“ThIS ORNATE PAIR OF BELLOWS WAS CREATED BY AN 
UNIDENTIFIED INMATE ON WELFARE ISLAND AS TODAY’S 
ROOSEVELT ISLAND WAS SOMETIMES KNOWN BECAUSE
OF NUMEROUS PRISONS , ASYLUMS AND ALMSHOUSES
LOCATED THERE.  THE INMATE CREATED A SET OF BELLOWS, FOR 
REASONS THAT ARE UNKNOWN, FOR WIVES
OF TEN OF THE MOST PROMINENT NEW YORKS OF THE DAY.

Credits

UNTAPPED NEW YORK
JUDITH BERDY

MAYA LEVANON-PHOTOS TIK TOK & INSTAGRAM

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THIS PUBLICATION FUNDED BY DISCRETIONARY FUNDS FROM CITY COUNCIL MEMBER JULIE MENIN & ROOSEVELT ISLAND OPERATING CORPORATION PUBLIC PURPOSE FUNDS.

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