>>> COMING UP ON "NYC ARTS," A

PROFILE OF A CUBAN AMERICAN

ARTIST WHOSE WORKS SPAN

PAINTING, SCULPTURE, AND

LARGE-SCALE MURALS.

>> I LIKE THE IDEA OF

TRANSLATING A PLACE OR AN

EXPERIENCE FROM BEING IN A PLACE

INTO A PAINTING.

SO I'VE IMAGINED MYSELF

DISSECTING A WALL INSTEAD OF

PAINTING A CANVAS AND IMAGINING

THAT WHAT I'M DISCOVERING MY

PAINTING IS THE ACCUMULATION OF

THE MANY YEARS OF WHAT OTHER

PEOPLE HAVE DONE.

>> A LOOK AT PUBLIC ART FUNDS

PROJECT "DOOR FOR DORIS."

>> THERE WAS A GUY IN THE PARK

WHO WAS LIKE WHAT AM I MAKING,

WHY AM I MAKING IT, WHAT IS

THIS?

THAT'S WHERE THIS IDEA OF THE

THIS CAME FROM.

IT'S SUCH AN OBVIOUS SYMBOL OF

THE CITY AS MUCH AS A DOOR CAN

OPEN, IT CAN CLOSE.

[ LAUGHTER ]

AND IT CAN FEEL LIKE A WELCOME

AND IT CAN FEEL LIKE A BLOCK.

>> AND A RIDE-ALONG WITH LEWIS

MILLER AS HE CREATES HIS POP-UP

FLOWER FLASHES.

>> THEY ARE FOR THE PEOPLE AND I

WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE THEM AND

INTERACT WITH THEM.

OBVIOUSLY TAKE A PICTURE BUT

TAKE A BLOSSOM, TAKE SOME HOME.

THE MORE THAT WE CAN HAVE THESE

KIND OF SOFT MOMENTS OF JUST

BEAUTY AND JOY FOR NO OTHER

REASON EVEN IF IT'S FOR AN HOUR

OR TEN MINUTES, THE JOB IS DONE.

>> FUNDING FOR "NYC ARTS" IS

MADE POSSIBLE BY

THE THEA PETSCHEK IERVOLINO

FOUNDATION.

THE LEWIS SONNY TURNER FUND FOR

DANCE.

RECOGNIZE LIND P. WALTER.

ELISE JAFFE AND JEFFREY BROWN.

AND ELLEN DIKER, GENE DUE BIN

SKI APPLETON ESTATE, AND ELLEN

AND JAMES S. MARCUS.

THIS PROGRAM IS SUPPORTED IN

PART BY PUBLIC FUNDS FROM THE

NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF

CULTURAL AFFAIRS IN PARTNERSHIP

WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING PROVIDED BY

MEMBERS OF 13.

"NYC ARTS" IS MADE POSSIBLE IN

PART BY FIRST REPUBLIC BANK.

>> FIRST REPUBLIC BANK PRESENTS

FIRST THINGS FIRST.

AT FIRST REPUBLIC BANK, FIRST

REFERS TO OUR FIRST PRIORITY,

THE CLIENTS WHO WALK THROUGH OUR

DOORS.

THE FIRST STEP?

RECOGNIZE THAT EVERY CLIENT IS

AN INDIVIDUAL WITH UNIQUE NEEDS.

FIRST DECREE, BE A BANK WHOSE

CURRENCY IS SERVICE IN THE FORM

OF PERSONAL BANKING.

THIS WAS FIRST REPUBLIC'S

MISSION FROM OUR VERY FIRST DAY.

IT'S STILL THE FIRST THING ON

OUR MINDS.

>> AND BY SWANN AUCTION GALLERY.

SWANN AUCTION GALLERIES, WE HAVE

A DIFFERENT DAY OF LOOKING AT

AUCTIONS, OFFERING VINTAGE BOOKS

AND FINE ARTS SINCE 1941 WORKING

TO COMBINE KNOWLEDGE WITH

ACCESSIBILITY, WHETHER YOU'RE A

LIFELONG COLLECTOR OR A

FIRST-TIME BUYER, OR LOOKING TO

SELL, INFORMATION AT

SWANNAUCTIONGALLERIES.COM.

[ MUSIC ]

♪

♪

[ MUSIC ]

>>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO

"NYC ARTS."

I'M PHILIPPE de MONTEBELLO ON

LOCATION AT THE METROPOLITAN

MUSEUM OF ART.

I'M IN THE GRAND SPACE

CONTAINING THE TREASURE THAT IS

THE TEMPLE OF DENDUR.

IT WAS BUILT AROUND 15 B.C. WHEN

THE ROMAN EMPEROR AUGUSTUS RULED

EGYPT.

IN 1965 THE TEMPLE AND ITS

GATEWAY WERE GIFTED BY EGYPT TO

THE UNITED STATES.

AWARDED TO THE MET TWO YEARS

LATER AND INSTALLED HERE IN

1978.

TRANSPORT TO THE MET AN

INSTALLATION WAS DONE WITH THE

GREATEST OF CARE.

THE SETTING WAS DESIGNED TO

APPROXIMATE THE LIGHT AND

SURROUNDINGS OF ITS ORIGINAL

LOCATION IN NUBIA INCLUDING A

REFLECTING POOL THAT EVOKES THE

NILE.

TODAY IT IS ONE OF THE MOST

ICONIC AND BELOVED WORKS OF ART

AT THE MET.

WITH ITS DOORS OPEN ONCE AGAIN

TO VISITORS, IT CELEBRATES ITS

150th ANNIVERSARY YEAR.

AT ITS CENTERPIECE IS THE

EXHIBITION MAKING THE MET, 1870,

2020.

IT EXPLORES PIVOTAL MOMENTS IN

THE MUSEUM'S HISTORY THROUGH A

DISPLAY OF MORE THAN 250 WORKS

OF ART DRAWN FROM ITS VAST

COLLECTIONS.

THE MUSEUMWIDE COLLABORATION

MEETS VISITORS ON AN IMMERSIVE

THOUGHT-PROVOKING EVOLUTION OF

ITS HOLDINGS.

IT REVEALS THE VISIONARY FORCES,

EXAMINING ITS PLACE IN SOCIETY

FROM ITS FOUNDING TO TODAY.

THE EXHIBITION SPANS BOTH

MILLENIA AND MEDIA.

FROM AN IMPOSING SEATED STATUE

OF THE EGYPTIAN QUEEN TO QUEEN

OF FRANCE, FROM MONUMENTAL TO

MICHELANGELO.

ALSO INCLUDED IS MADAM X BY JOHN

SINGER SERGEANT AND EDWARD'S

PHOTOGRAPHS OF "THE FLATIRON."

ITS GLOBAL REACH EXTENDS FROM

ASIA WITH EXCEPTIONAL WORKS SUCH

AS KNIGHT SHINING WHITE TO

AFRICA WITH A SEATED FEMALE

FIGURE.

AS WELL AS THE AMERICAS WITH THE

CROWN OF THE ANDES.

MAKING THE MET IS ON VIEW

THROUGH JANUARY 3rd.

NOW, LET'S VISIT THE BROOKLYN

STUDIO OF A CUBAN-AMERICAN

ARTIST.

HIS CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED WORKS

INCLUDE PICTURES, AND

LARGE-SCALE MURALS.

THEY HAVE BEEN ON VIEW IN THE

UNITED STATES AND ABROAD

INCLUDING CUBA, JAPAN, AND THE

UK.

COMPOSED OF LAYERS OF PAINT, AND

FOUND MATERIALS, HIS WORK LIES

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN ABSTRACTION

AND CALLIGRAPHY.

HIS IMAGERY IS INSPIRED BY THE

WEAT

WEATHERED SURFACES OF BUILDINGS

THAT HE VISITS ALL OVER THE

WORLD.

THE MEMORIES ENGAGE THE VIEWER'S

MEMORY AND IMAGINATION WHILE

ALSO REFERENCING CONTEMPORARY

POLITICAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES.

SOME OF HIS PUBLIC WORKS IN OUR

AREA INCLUDE MURALS AT THE

BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC,

BARCLAY CENTER, AND ONE WORLD

TRADE CENTER.

CURRENTLY HE HAS AN EXHIBITION

ON VIEW AT THE BRONX MUSEUM OF

ARTS.

♪

>> YOU ALWAYS HEAR STORIES ABOUT

ARTISTS STARTING OFF VERY YOUNG.

AND THAT WAS MY CASE.

I WAS IN MIAMI, FLORIDA.

IT WAS THE EARLY '80s WHEN

HIP-HOP CULTURE WAS BEING BORN

AND I FELT VERY MUCH A PART OF

THAT.

I STARTED PAINTING WITH MY

FRIENDS BASICALLY AROUND THE

CITY, PAINTING WALLS.

MY ART TEACHER ENTERED ONE OF MY

DRAWINGS INTO THE SCHOLASTIC ART

AWARD COMPETITION.

AND THAT EVENTUALLY GOT ME A

SCHOLARSHIP TO SAVANNA COLLEGE

OF ART DESIGN.

THERE I REALLY GOT TO EXPERIMENT

WITH ALL TYPES OF ART AND LEARN

ABOUT ART HISTORY MORE FORMALLY.

BUT I WAS INTERESTED IN BEING

TRUE TO WHAT I WAS DOING IN

MIAMI PREVIOUSLY.

I LIKE THE IDEA OF TRANSLATING A

PLACE OR AN EXPERIENCE FROM

BEING IN A PLACE INTO A

PAINTING.

SO I'VE IMAGINED MYSELF

DISSECTING A WALL INSTEAD OF

PAINTING A CANVAS.

AND IMAGINING THAT WHAT I'M

DISCOVERING BY PAINTING IS THE

ACCUMULATION OF THE MANY YEARS

OF WHAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE DONE

TO A WALL.

BUT THEN YOU ALSO HAVE THE

ENVIRONMENT, THE SUN, THE WIND,

THE RAIN, STORMS.

SO MY PAINTINGS ARE INSPIRED BY

WHAT HAPPENS OUTSIDE.

AND A LOT OF THE TECHNIQUES THAT

I BRING INTO THE WORK COME

DIRECTLY FROM THINKING ABOUT

CONSTRUCTION, DECONSTRUCTION,

ABOUT WALLS, AND ARCHITECTURAL

SURFACE.

WHY DO I PAY ATTENTION TO CITIES

THE WAY THAT I DO?

WHAT AM I LOOKING FOR WHEN I'M

WALKING AROUND?

FOR ME I'M INTERESTED IN FINDING

CLUES AS TO WHAT IS THE DIALOGUE

THAT I'M HAVING AS AN ARTIST

WITH THE WORLD.

I LOVE CHARACTER.

EITHER I SEE A CHARACTER THAT I

WANT TO PHOTOGRAPH OR I SEE

SOMETHING THAT A CHARACTER DID

TO A WALL THAT I WANT TO

PHOTOGRAPH.

SO LIKE THE MARK LEFT BEHIND.

IT'S I THINK A HABIT I'VE

DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS OF

LOOKING AT WALLS.

AND IT'S A KIND OF HIEROGLYPHIC

THAT EXISTS.

IT'S INTERESTING AS YOU WALK

ALONG YOU SEE LANGUAGE.

I WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO

DO THIS MURAL IN A LIBRARY

SETTING, AND I WANTED TO DO

SOMETHING THAT WENT TO THE ROOTS

OF LANGUAGE.

SO I LAYERED TONS AND TONS OF

WRITING SORT OF FORMAL SEASCAPE

OF WORDS, AND THE WORDS THAT

WERE WRITTEN, ALTHOUGH ILLEGIBLE

ON PURPOSE ARE WORDS OF ARTISTS,

PHILOSOPHERS.

AND YOU'RE TAPPED INTO THIS

MAJOR UNIVERSAL SYMPHONY OF

WORDS ALL BEING SPOKEN AT THE

SAME TIME.

AND SO THAT FORMED THE PAINTING,

"NATURE OF LANGUAGE."

IT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT MY WORK

THAT IT'S KIND OF PERFORMING

PAINTING OR THAT PAINTING IS THE

PERFORMANCE.

NONE OF THOSE DECISIONS OF MY

WORK ARE PLANNED.

THERE IS A CERTAIN MOVEMENT THAT

I FEEL IS REALLY NECESSARY AND A

TYPE OF SPEED THAT IS NECESSARY

FOR ACTUAL TECHNIQUE TO WORK.

IF YOU'RE DOING A LOT OF BLENDS,

OKAY, AND YOU'RE WORKING WITH

PAINT THAT DRIES VERY FAST AND

YOU HAVE TO WORK REALLY FAST AND

YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN DANCE

OR A CERTAIN AGILITY TO BE ABLE

TO PULL THAT OFF.

FOR EXAMPLE, SOMETIMES I WANT TO

DO REALLY LONG, TALL STROKES SO

I JUMP OFF A LADDER TO DO IT.

WHEN I FIRST DID IT, IT WASN'T A

DECISION.

I ACTUALLY HAD FORGOTTEN I WAS

ON THE LADDER.

AND WHEN I DID THE LINE IT WAS

TOO LATE AND I JUMPED OFF AND I

JUST KEPT THE BRUSH ON THE

SURFACE.

THEN I THOUGHT, WELL, THAT'S

REALLY SOMETHING THAT I COULD

USE.

SO I KEPT DOING IT.

BUT AT FIRST IT WAS AN ACCIDENT.

SCULPTURAL PAINTINGS FOR ME

STARTED WHEN I WAS STILL AT

SCHOOL.

IT WAS 1992 WHEN HURRICANE

ANDREW CAME THROUGH MIAMI AND

DEVASTATED A LOT OF THE CITY

INCLUDING MY STUDIO.

MY ART STUDIO WAS ON LINCOLN

ROAD IN MIAMI BEACH.

AND A LOT OF THE WORKS FLEW OUT

THE WINDOW.

AND THE FOLLOWING DAY I WENT OUT

WITH SOME FRIENDS LOOKING FOR

THE DEBRIS OF MY WORK AND FOUND

SOME BROKEN PAINTINGS AND SO I

REASSEMBLED THEM WITH OTHER

DEBRIS AND MADE THESE KIND OF

SCULPTURAL PAINTINGS.

BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL 2014 AND IT

WAS THE 25th ANNIVERSARY OF THE

FALLING OF THE BERLIN WALL.

AND I REMEMBERED THAT WHEN THAT

HAPPENED, THE IRON CURTAIN WAS

FALLING AND THE COLD WAR WAS

SUPPOSED TO BE OVER.

AND SO WE, AS THE CUBAN

COMMUNITY, THE DIASPORA

WORLDWIDE THOUGHT WHAT IS GOING

TO HAPPEN WITH CUBA.

WHAT WILL CHANGE?

AND, WELL, WITH CUBA, NOT MUCH

CHANGED REALLY UNTIL THAT SAME

25th ANNIVERSARY WHEN PRESIDENT

OBAMA AND PRESIDENT CASTRO

ANNOUNCED THE NEW CONVERSATIONS

AND NORMAL RELATIONS THAT WERE

TO START TAKING PLACE BETWEEN

THE TWO COUNTRIES.

AND SO I THOUGHT IT WAS A REALLY

INTERESTING TIME TO INTRODUCE

THESE SCULPTURAL PAINTINGS THAT

WERE REPRESENTATIONS OF WALLS

THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

WALLS NOT ONLY EXIST PHYSICALLY

BUT ALSO IN OUR MIND.

AND WE'RE WITNESSING MANY MORE

BARRIERS GO UP AND MANY MORE

BORDERS.

AND BUILDING NEW WALLS AND

THINGS THAT ARE REALLY WHAT I

THINK GOING BACKWARDS FOR

HUMANITY.

IT WAS A WAY TO SHOW BROKEN

WALLS AS A SYMBOL OF BREAKING

WALLS, AESTHETICALLY,

PHYSICALLY, AND MENTALLY AND

EVEN SPIRITUALLY.

WHEN YOU'RE COMING FROM A CUBAN

FAMILY, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER

YOU'RE IN CUBA OR SWITZERLAND OR

MIAMI, POLITICS IS JUST PART OF

YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE.

IMMIGRATION IS PART OF YOUR

EVERYDAY LIFE BECAUSE YOUR

PARENTS ARE IMMIGRANTS, YOU ARE

ALSO AN IMMIGRANT IN A SENSE

BECAUSE, FOR ME PERSONLLY I WAS

LEARNING ENGLISH AT THE AGE OF

10 HERE IN THE UNITED STATES.

SO PEOPLE LOOKED AT ME AS AN

IMMIGRANT EVEN THOUGH I WAS BORN

HERE.

SO THOSE THEMES ARE NOT JUST

PART OF MY WORK, THEY'RE PART OF

MY LIFE.

[ MUSIC ]

[ SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE ]

THIS WAS A PROJECT THAT EXISTED

PREVIOUSLY WITH MY FRIEND JR.

WE HAD DONE IT IN SHANGHAI AND

CARTAGENA, SPAIN.

WE WERE INVITED TO THE HAVANA

BIENNIAL IN 2012.

AND WE SAID INSTEAD OF DOING

SOMETHING SEPARATE WE SAID WHY

DON'T WE COLLABORATE ON

SOMETHING.

HAVANA IS ONE OF THE MOST

TEXTURED CITIES IN THE WORLD,

MEANING THAT ITS ARCHITECTURE

REALLY REFLECTS ITS HISTORY IN A

WAY WHERE YOU SEE THE

DETERIORATION OF IT, AND THE

PEOPLE WHO HAVE WITNESSED THAT

HAVE LIVED THAT ARE THE ELDERLY

PEOPLE IN THAT SOCIETY IN CUBA.

I NEVER REALLY MET MY REAL

GRANDPARENTS.

SO WORKING WITH JR ON THIS

PROJECT, INTERVIEWING THEM,

HEARING THEIR STORIES, ALSO

TRANSLATING THEIR PORTRAITS INTO

LARGE-SCALE LIKE THIS WAS

INCREDIBLE.

AND IN A COUNTRY WHERE YOU DON'T

REALLY HAVE ADVERTISING, YOU

HAVE THE PICTURE OF

REVOLUTIONARY HEROES AND LOCAL

PEOPLE AUTOMATICALLY THOUGHT

THAT IF THAT PERSON WAS

IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO BE ON A WALL

THAT THEY WERE LIKE A

REVOLUTIONARY HERO.

AND WE SAID, WELL, KIND OF, THEY

HAD THEIR OWN REVOLUTION IN A

SENSE BECAUSE THEY'RE SURVIVORS.

ART IS ONE OF THE BEST TOOLS TO

INTERPRET THE HUMAN CONDITION

BECAUSE THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN

READ IN ART AND SEE IN ART THAT

CANNOT BE SAID VERBALLY.

I THINK THAT WE AS ARTISTS, FILM

MAKERS, POETS, WRITERS,

JOURNALISTS, WHAT WE'RE TRYING

TO DO IS BRING TO LIGHT THE FACT

THAT THERE ARE MANY EXAMPLES OF

HOW WE CAN LIVE IN HARMONY.

THE PAINTING IN A SENSE IS

90 FEET AND 15 FEET TALL.

IT WAS A PAINTING COMMISSIONED

IN 2013 BY THE NEW YORK AND NEW

JERSEY PORT AUTHORITY AND THE

ORGANIZATION FOR THE WORLD TRADE

CENTER.

IT WAS A BIG RESPONSIBILITY THAT

CAME WITH DOING SUCH A LOCATION.

BUT I DID KNOW THAT I WANTED TO

MAKE A PAINTING THAT WAS

RESPECTFUL TO THE FAMILIES OF

THOSE WHO HAD LOST PEOPLE THERE,

BUT ALSO RESPECTFUL TO NEW YORK

AND THAT IT ALSO HAD A POINT OF

STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE AND

HARMONY TO BRING PEOPLE

TOGETHER.

AND I WANTED IT TO HAVE A LOT OF

COLORS THAT WOULD MAKE A KIND OF

SPECTRUM OF UNITY OF

REPRESENTING THE MANY DIFFERENT

KIND OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN NEW

YORK.

SO IT REALLY BECOMES A PIECE

THAT IS ABOUT THAT EVERYDAY

RESILIENCE OF NEW YORKERS AND

UNITY THAT WE SIGNIFY.

[ MUSIC ]

>>> FOR THE PAST 43 YEARS, THE

PUBLIC ART FUND HAS PRESENTED

MORE THAN 500 WORKS OF ART

ACROSS THE FIVE BOROUGHS.

THE NONPROFIT WAS FOUNDED BY

DORIS C. FREEDMAN, THE CITY'S

FIRST DIRECTOR OF CULTURAL

AFFAIRS.

TODAY THE PUBLIC ART FUND

CONTINUES FREEDMAN'S WORK.

THEIR MISSION IS TO BRING

AMBITIOUS CONTEMPORARY ART TO A

DIVERSE AUDIENCE AT NO COST TO

THE PUBLIC.

EACH YEAR THE FUND PRESENTS A

NEW INSTALLATION IN DORIS C.

FREEDMAN PLAZA LOCATED AT THE

SOUTHEAST CORNER OF CENTRAL

PARK.

CURRENTLY ON VIEW IS "DOOR FOR

DORIS."

AN ARTIST TRIBUTE TO FREEDMAN

AND TO THE CITY ITSELF.

MOYER SPOKE WITH US ABOUT HER

WORK OVER ZOOM FROM HER BROOKLYN

STUDIO.

>> "DOOR FOR DORIS" IS A PUBLIC

SCULPTURE THAT'S CURRENTLY ON

VIEW AT THE CORNER OF 60th AND

FIFTH AVENUE AT THE ENTRANCE OF

CENTRAL PARK.

AND IT'S NAMED FOR THE FOUNDER

OF THE PUBLIC ART FUND, DORIS

FREEDMAN.

THERE'S A MOMENT THAT NEEDS TO

BE TAKEN TO THINK ABOUT WHAT HAD

TO HAPPEN FOR YOU TO HAVE THE

OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU'VE BEEN

GIVEN AND WHO CAME BEFORE YOU

AND WHAT WORK HAD TO BE DONE SO

THAT THIS IS EVEN SOMETHING

THAT'S POSSIBLE.

AND SO I JUST WANTED TO HONOR

HER EFFORTS THAT SHE MADE

STARTING IN 1977 TO MAKE THIS A

PLACE TO BRING ART TO THE

PUBLIC.

YOU'RE LIKE WHAT AM I MAKING,

WHY AM I MAKING IT, WHAT IS

THIS?

SO, THAT'S WHERE THIS IDEA OF

THE ROAD HITTING DOORS CAME IN.

IT'S SUCH AN ON-THE-NOSE OBVIOUS

SYMBOL OF THE CITY.

AS MUCH AS A DOOR CAN OPEN, IT

CAN CLOSE.

AND IT CAN FEEL LIKE A WELCOME

AND IT CAN FEEL LIKE A BLOCK,

TAKING SOMETHING THAT'S IN

CONSTANT MOTION LIKE A ROTATING

DOOR AND ALL ABOUT THAT

MECHANISM AND FREEZING IT AND

EMPHASIZING IT.

IT'S DESIGNED TO BE ABLE TO WALK

THROUGH IF YOU WANT TO, WALK

AROUND, TOUCH THE STONES.

AND IT GIVES PEOPLE OF THE

DIFFERENT IDEA OF THE MATERIAL

IN THE BUILT WORLD, I THINK THAT

THAT'S EXCITING.

IT'S A CELEBRATION OF THE

THRESHOLD BETWEEN THE CITY AND

THE NATURE OF CENTRAL PARK.

I WORK WITH STONE AND MAKE

FORMAL ABSTRACT PAINTINGS OUT OF

THEM.

AND SO I WANTED TO BRING THAT

PART OF MY PRACTICE INTO THE

PIECE.

BUT I ALSO JUST WANTED TO THINK

ABOUT LIKE THE ESSENTIAL

MATERIALS OF NEW YORK.

THERE'S THE CONCRETE THAT THE

CITY'S MADE OUT OF, BUT THEN

THERE'S ALSO LIKE THE BEDROCK OF

THE EARTH THAT THE CITY IS

SITTING ON.

AND ONE OF THOSE MATERIALS IS

BLUESTONE, WHICH THE ARCHES ARE

MADE OUT OF.

AND BLUESTONE IS FOUND IN

CENTRAL PARK IN MULTIPLE WAYS,

EXPOSED NATURAL STONE.

BUT IT'S ALSO THE PAVERS AND THE

WALLS.

THE MARBLE REMNANTS ARE A BIG

PART OF MY PRACTICE, AND I

COLLECT THEM FROM MULTIPLE

PLACES AROUND THE CITY.

I HAVE MY SOURCES.

THEY'RE CAST-OFFS FROM OLD

COUNTERTOPS OR OFF-CUTS FROM

THOSE PROJECTS.

WE HAVE THIS FRAMEWORK OF

LOCALNESS.

AND THEN WE HAVE WHAT ACTUALLY,

LIKE, BRIGHTENS UP AND

BEAUTIFIES AND IGNITES THE CITY,

WHICH IS THESE COMPONENTS THAT

COME FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD AND

SORT OF THE GLOBALNESS OF NEW

YORK.

WHEN COVID HAPPENED WE JUST HAD

TO SORT OF -- WE JUST NEED TO

HOLD DOWN THE FORT AND BE HERE

AND DO WHAT WE CAN TO BE ABLE TO

PRESENT SOMETHING TO THIS

BASICALLY NOW A SACRED SPACE

WHICH IS OUR OUTDOOR PUBLIC

SPACE FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING

IN THE NEW YORK PARK AND ALONE.

OFTEN THE ONLY TIMES THAT YOU

GOT TO SORT OF SEE YOUR OTHER

FELLOW NEW YORKERS AND KNOW YOU

WERE ALL IN IT TOGETHER WERE

THESE MOMENTS WE WERE OUTSIDE

TOGETHER.

SO, THAT WAS BIG OVERWHELMING

GRATITUDE FOR GETTING TO MAKE

THIS PIECE IN THIS TIME.

>>> FOR MORE INFORMATION ON

CULTURAL EVENTS IN OUR AREA,

PLEASE SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE

WEEKLY EMAIL AT

NYC/ARTS.ORG/EMAIL.

AND BE SURE TO CONNECT WITH "NYC

ARTS" ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM,

AND TWITTER.

MANHATTAN FLORIST LEWIS MILLER

LIKES TO BRIGHTEN UP NEW YORK BY

SHARING HIS ART WITH THE PUBLIC.

HIS POP-UP ARRANGEMENTS KNOWN AS

FLOWER FLASHES HAVE APPEARED ALL

OVER THE CITY.

THIS YEAR, HE'S CREATED SEVERAL

FLASHES TO HONOR HEALTH CARE

WORKERS AND THE RESILIENT SPIRIT

OF NEW YORK CITY.

WE JOIN MILLER AND HIS CREW A

COUPLE OF YEARS AGO ON ONE OF

THEIR EARLY-MORNING ADVENTURES.

>> FLOWERS WERE ALWAYS PART OF

MY DNA.

I COME FROM A FAMILY OF

GARDENERS, BUT I WENT FROM

LANDSCAPE AND HORTICULTURE TO

THE FLOWER WORLD.

THE FLOWER FLASH WAS SOMETHING

THAT WAS KIND OF BOPPING AROUND

MY BRAIN FOR A WHILE.

IT DIDN'T HAVE A NAME.

IT WAS SORT OF MORE OF THIS

VAGUE IDEA OF HOW TO TAKE

FLOWERS AND FUSE THEM IN AN

URBAN CITY ENVIRONMENT.

SO IT FINALLY GOT TO THE POINT A

COUPLE YEARS AGO WHERE I WAS

VERY SATISFIED WITH THE

BUSINESS, THINGS WERE GOING

SUPER WELL, AND KIND OF NEEDING

TO FEEL CREATIVELY ENERGIZED

AGAIN BUT ALSO FEELING THE NEED

IN MY OWN WAY TO GIVE BACK.

I'M SURROUNDED BY FLOWERS ON A

DAILY BASIS AS ARE MY CLIENTS.

WE TEND TO GET IMMUNE TO HOW

BEAUTIFUL THEY ARE AND WHAT AN

EXPRESSION OF JOY THEY ARE TO

PEOPLE.

AND IT'S REALLY ABOUT TAKING

THAT, WHICH IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND

KIND OF MERGING IT WITH TEXTURE

AND THE GRIT OF OUR URBAN CITY

LIFE AND CREATING SOMETHING

THAT'S VERY SPONTANEOUS, VERY

FLEETING, AND SORT OF ABSTRACT.

WE SPEND A GREAT DEAL OF TIME

REALLY FINDING LOCATIONS THAT

FEEL NEW YORK FIRST.

SO, THAT COMBINED WITH THE

SEASON, WHAT'S LOOKING GOOD, AND

ALSO THE FLOWER FLASHES ARE AN

ACCUMULATION OF OLD FLOWERS IN

THE FLOWER MARKET, STUFF THAT'S

LEFT OVER FROM THE STUDIO, AND

STUFF THAT'S LEFT OVER FROM

EVENTS.

SO WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THAT AS

WELL.

FLASHES HAPPEN VERY QUICKLY.

WE PLAN IT TO A CERTAIN EXTENT,

THEN WE JUST DO IT AND SEE WHAT

HAPPENS.

THERE'S A LITTLE ANXIOUS ENERGY.

IT'S OFTEN DARK AND COLD.

FLOWERS ARE FOR NEW YORKERS.

THEY ARE FOR THE PEOPLE AND I

WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE THEM AND

INTERACT WITH THEM, OBVIOUSLY

TAKE A PICTURE BUT TAKE A

BLOSSOM, TAKE SOME HOME.

NEW YORK IS NEW YORK.

ALL THESE PEOPLE PILED ON TOP OF

EACH OTHER.

TO ME THE TWO BIGGEST LUXURIES

IN THE CITY ARE NATURE AND

SPACE.

SO THE MORE THAT WE CAN HAVE

THESE KIND OF SOFT MOMENTS OF

JUST BEAUTY AND JOY FOR NO OTHER

REASON, EVEN IF IT'S FOR AN HOUR

OR TEN MINUTES, THE JOB IS DONE.

>>> NEXT WEEK ON "NYC ARTS," A

VISIT TO POSTER HOUSE IN CHELSEA

WHICH CELEBRATES THE ART AND

SOCIAL IMPACT OF POSTERS FROM

THE 1800s TO THE PRESENT DAY.

>> YOU JUST SEE AN IMAGE AND YOU

UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF THE

POSTER RIGHT AWAY.

IN FACT, THAT'S WHAT MAKES A

GOOD EFFECTIVE POSTER.

IF A POSTER DOESN'T COMMUNICATE

ITS PURPOSE TO YOU IN LESS THAN

A SECOND, IT'S FAILED.

>> AND A LOOK AT THE EXHIBITION

STRETCHING THE CANVAS AT THE

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN

INDIAN.

>> I THINK IT WAS THAT FIRST

PAINT IN KINDERGARTEN THAT SAID

TO ME THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO

THE REST OF MY LIFE.

AND I REMEMBER BEING 6 YEARS OLD

OR 6 AND A HALF AND THINKING I'M

IN MY ZONE NOW, THE LIGHTNING

HIT ME, THIS IS WHAT I'M GOING

TO BE DOING THE REST OF MY LIFE

AND I'M STILL DOING THIS.

SO I THINK YOU CAN BE A PAINTER.

>>> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US

THIS EVENING.

I'M PHILIPPE de MONTEBELLO ON

LOCATION AT THE METROPOLITAN

MUSEUM OF ART.

GOOD NIGHT AND SEE YOU NEXT

TIME.

>> FUNDING FOR "NYC ARTS" IS

MADE POSSIBLE BY

THE THEA PETSCHEK IERVOLINO

FOUNDATION.

THE LEWIS SONNY TURNER FUND FOR

DANCE.

JODY AND JOHN ARNOHLD.

ROSLIND P. WALTER.

ELISE JAFFE AND JEFFREY BROWN.

AND ELLEN DIKER, GENE DUE BIN

SKI APPLETON ESTATE, AND ELLEN

AND JAMES S. MARCUS.

THIS PROGRAM IS SUPPORTED IN

PART BY PUBLIC FUNDS FROM THE

NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF

CULTURAL AFFAIRS IN PARTNERSHIP

WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING PROVIDED BY

MEMBERS OF 13.

"NYC ARTS" IS MADE POSSIBLE IN

PART BY FIRST REPUBLIC BANK.

>> FIRST REPUBLIC BANK PRESENTS

FIRST THINGS FIRST.

AT FIRST REPUBLIC BANK, FIRST

REFERS TO OUR FIRST PRIORITY,

THE CLIENTS WHO WALK THROUGH OUR

DOORS.

THE FIRST STEP?

RECOGNIZE THAT EVERY CLIENT IS

AN INDIVIDUAL WITH UNIQUE NEEDS.

FIRST DECREE, BE A BANK WHOSE

CURRENCY IS SERVICE IN THE FORM

OF PERSONAL BANKING.

THIS WAS FIRST REPUBLIC'S

MISSION FROM OUR VERY FIRST DAY.

IT'S STILL THE FIRST THING ON

OUR MINDS.

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