Tony Rosenthal was among the most amazing public sculptors that ever lived. His work, most of us have seen in person and adore. I hope you enjoy this post! Love,
Jamie
In sheer visibility, Mr. Rosenthal occupied a leading place among contemporary artists. His five works of public sculpture in Manhattan, and dozens of similar works in Los Angeles,
Philadelphia and other cities, guaranteed him a vast audience every week, yet he remained, if not obscure, much less than famous.
He was best known for “Alamo,” familiarly called “The Cube”
and a neighborhood favorite since it was installed in 1967 as part of the city’s
“Sculpture in Environment” program. All 25 works in the program were intended to be temporary installations, but after residents in the Astor Place area petitioned the city, “Alamo” stayed.
A 15-foot-square cube, made of Cor-Ten steel plates, it stands on one point and revolves on a pedestal, which has endeared it to students at nearbyCooper Union, skateboarders who rally around it and East Village tourists
Mr. Rosenthal is also represented in Manhattan by “Rondo”
(1969), the gleaming bronze circle in front of the New york Public Library’s branch on East 58th Street; “5 in 1” (1973) at
Police Plaza; “SteelPark” (1980) at 80th Street near First Avenue; and “Hammarskjold,” originally installed at Hammarskjold Plaza in 1977 but acquired the next year by the Fashion Institute of technology on Seventh Avenue at 27th Street.
House of Turquoise