New Yorkers are known to be jaded. We can pass by something over and over and over again and not eve

New Yorkers are known to be jaded. We can pass by something over and over and over again and not even know what it is and why it’s there.

This bright red painted steel of Isamu Noguchi’s Red Cube stands out in strong contrast to the blacks, browns, and whites of the buildings and sidewalks around the sculpture. Located in Financial district, Red Cube is surrounded on three sides by skyscrapers, the height of which draw a viewer’s eye upwards. The sculpture itself adds to this upward pull, as it balances on one corner, the opposite corner reaching towards the sky.

Through the center of the cube there is a cylindrical hole, revealing an inner surface of gray with evenly-spaced lines moving from one opening of the hole to the other. Looking through this hole, the viewer’s gaze is directed towards the building behind, tying the sculpture and the architecture together.

Although Noguchi began his sculpting career creating individual pieces, he spent a number of years in the 1940s and 50s working primarily on designing spaces, such as gardens and plazas.

Born in Los Angeles in 1904, Isamu Noguchi was an American artist and industrial designer who is regarded as one of the twentieth century’s most important sculptors. However, then, the son of Yone Noguchi, a Japanese poet, and Léonie Gilmour, an American writer who edited much of Noguchi’s work, wasn’t recognized as a sculptor for a while. Abandoned by his father at the age of one, he grew up with his mother.

He was discouraged by friends and mentors from pursuing art. He later decided to pursue sculpture and apprenticed with artists around the world. None of his early works gained him any recognition or provided financial support for a while. But he did manage to meet Frida Kahlo and have a brief affair with her.

His first attempts at the Public Works of Art Program proved unsuccessful, as one after another of his submissions were declined. Red Cube was finally accepted in 1968.

It is also said that the the sculpture represents a die, a roll of chance. #redcube #isamunoguchi #sculpture #sculptureart #sculptures #nyc #newyorkcity #newyork #history #funfacts (at HSBC Bank)
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