You Are Here Guide

Receptions

Events

The High Line

Chelsea is best known for its many art galleries, with visitors continually delighted by the diversity of mediums, themes and artists all displayed in a single neighborhood. Since the opening of the High Line, though, the area has had another claim to fame, one which can provides a unique, relaxing space that can be enjoyed by tourists, art lovers and those who live and work nearby.

The High Line was originally an elevated railway that used to carry goods from warehouses in Chelsea to other places around the city. It was originally designed as a safer form of transport – far better than the previous method of sending cargo by means of freight trains which ran at street level and caused numerous accidents. Over time, however, other methods of moving things around were devised, and by 1980 the High Line seemed an anachronism which ceased to function, falling gently into disuse and decay.

When Chelsea began to revive in the 1990s, property developers were keen to dismantle it. But a determined group of citizens, who formed the group Friends of the High Line and eventually convinced the city to support their ideas, were convinced that with time, effort and vision, the High Line could become something special and valuable in the area.

Walking along the High Line today, it seems clear that they could not have been more right. The old tracks have become a delightful promenade which runs along above the streets, giving visitors an opportunity to see some wonderful New York views whilst surrounded by beauty and greenery. The plants have been carefully chosen so that some of the wild varieties which took root there when they were allowed to run wild are still represented, giving sensitive viewers a sense of what it would have been like then. This impression is increased by the metal tracks which still remain visible in some parts of the walk, a reminder of the past that gives the present design a feeling of movement and flow.

As befits an attraction in the heart of New York’s art district, the High Line also boasts public art sculptures and installations, some of which last for months, and others which are only present for a few weeks or even hours. These, too, are mindful of the space they inhabit and fit beautifully into the scene even as they encourage thoughtfulness about the nature of the place.

A refreshing change from the frenetic pace that often characterizes the city below, the High Line is the perfect place for anyone in Chelsea to relax, unwind and take time to appreciate the area.

Check out the website for more information.

Tom Otterness - Life Underground

Often we are so busy waiting for the latest art installation to open, or to visit an exhibition that has been much discussed, that we forget that we are already surrounded by art and exhibitions, both in and outside galleries and art related venues. This is particularly true in Chelsea, where every wall, staircase and corner might surprise you with a unique piece of artwork when you least expect it. That’s why, this month, we decided to feature and celebrate the amazing permanent public artwork of Tom Otterness - “Life Underground” – as a reminder that beauty and art can be everywhere and that that potential surrounds us always, as long as we are paying attention. Otterness, who is an American sculptor, created an army of over 100 small and medium sized bronze figures in 2001 and scattered them throughout the subway station at 14th Street and Eighth Avenue, here in Chelsea. The project was commissioned by the MTA’s Arts for Transit and today it is still one of the most popular public art projects in New York City. The sculptures represent people, animals and abstract subjects, all reinvented in a cartoon style and represented in different situations and activities. The result is the creation of a permanent parallel universe, charming and playful because of the combination of the subjects and their interactions, but also serious and judgmental because of their allusions to our real world and to the people who are constantly walking, sitting or running around them. The artist described the whole project as showing the “impossibility of understanding life in New York,” but the more you look at his figures, the more you actually feel the opposite – as if these little figures really understood it all much better than many of the passersby.

So, next time you’re at the subway station in Chelsea, look out for these thought-provoking sculptures. We never get tired of them!

14th Street and 8th Avenue, New York, NY
http://www.tomostudio.com/artworks/life-underground