ORLY GENGER at MADISON SQUARE PARK

The first time I encountered Orly Genger's Red, Yellow, and Blue during its installation at Madison Square Park, I wasn't sure I appreciated the 1.4 million feet of repurposed rope, equal to more than 20 times the length of Manhattan, undulating amongst the grass and trees.

At first,  the sculptures seemed to detract from the respite of the lush park in the midst of hurried Flatiron, but I soon appreciated their presence as I watched the public, encouraged through interaction with the works, to experience the park and their surroundings in a new way.

Fashioned out of nautical rope gathered from the East Coast and then meticulously knotted by hand, the massive installation Red, Yellow, and Blue encompasses multiple layers of meaning, both literally and figuratively. 

Genger’s installations have been described as “aggressive”, and almost appear to man-handle the spaces in which they reside. At the same time, there is a calming quality to the repeated links and knots.  Genger's work is inspired by Minimalism and interaction in work by artists such as Richard Serra and Felix Gonzalez-Torres.

Dress: W118 by Walter Baker

Jacket: Doo. Ri

Shoes: Rachel Roy

Photos by Meri Feir.

Concurrent with the Madison Square Park project, you can buy Genger's MSP collection, inspired by Red, Yellow, and Blue, through Grey Area.