Orly Genger, Red, Yellow and Blue (2013) via Madison Square Park
On view in Madison Square Park through September 8, Orly Genger’s Red, Yellow and Blue is an astounding yet whimsical feat of sculpture. Commissioned by Madison Square Art, Red, Yellow and Blue is constructed from 1.4 million feet of rope from repurposed lobster traps, crochet stitched into braids, covered with over 3,500 gallons of paint and stacked and twisted into over 100,000 pounds of colorful and continuous wave-like shapes.
Orly Genger, Red, Yellow and Blue (2013) via Madison Square Park
Genger, 34, is known for pushing the limits of sculpture using rope and found materials.  Her large-scale installations play with the language of the Minimalist, Post-Minimalist and Feminist art historical canon, often utilizing massive installations of repurposed materials.  Past works have referenced Tony Smith, Donald Judd and Walter de Maria, and 2010’s Big Boss at Mass MoCA included 100 miles of red rope that suggested a play on abstract painting.  Though executed in a vocabulary all her own, Genger’s Red, Yellow and Blue also recalls the monumental forms of Richard Serra and the pop textures of Claes Oldenburg.
Orly Genger, Red, Yellow and Blue (2013) via Madison Square Park
Assembled, cleaned and braided over two years, Red, Yellow and Blue is Genger’s largest and most labor-intensive project to date, covering about 4,500 square feet over three of the park’s lawns. The bright undulating forms respond to the curves of the landscape and trees, suggesting waves in water, perhaps a reference to the ropes’ former purpose, and New York’s past and present interconnectedness with the Atlantic.
Orly Genger, Red, Yellow and Blue (2013) via Madison Square Park
The exhibition is just one more entry in an extremely popular series of installations at Madison Square Park, and will continue through next month, when Genger’s installations will be replaced by the sculptures of Giuseppe Penone.
Orly Genger, Red, Yellow and Blue (2013) via Madison Square Park
—K. Shahi
Related Links
Exhibition Site [Madison Square Park Conservancy]
“The Rope Wrangler, Ideas Unfurling: Orly Genger, in Madison Square Park.” [The New York Times]
Associated Press. “NYC artist creates installation with lobster rope.” [The Wall Street Journal]
“Orly Genger: Red, Yellow and Blue, in Madison Square Park.” [Artinfo.com via YouTube.com].
