Alexander Calder’s Terrazzo Sidewalk
About This Listing
Place Details
- Borough: Manhattan
- Neighborhood: Upper East Side
- Categories: Arts and Entertainment, Historic Site & Museum, Public Art, What New Yorkers Find Beautiful
Place Matters Profile
Alexander Calder’s Terrazzo Sidewalk is a unique work by an artist famous for his mobile sculptures. Installed in 1970, the sidewalk is 75 by 15 feet, and is made up of black-and-white parallel and diagonal lines and crescents. In 2002, the sidewalk was renovated at the cost of $100,000
Nominations
Michael Gotkin
This was the center of avant-garde art before it moved downtown, when there was still a concentration of galleries who represented Calder.
Matt Postal
This area was the focus of the city’s art world before the last moment when the Whitney Museum opened. The owners of three adjacent galleries commissioned Calder to design their shared sidewalk: Robert Graham, Klaus Perls (who represented Calder), and Morton Rosenfeld. Installed September 18, 1970, the sidewalk is 75 feet by 15 feet, and made up of black-and-white parallel and diagonal lines and crescents. This is Calder’s only sidewalk and his only work in terrazzo.
