Spectacular sculpture: Mark di Suvero at Governors Island

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Sue Ward talks to Storm King director David R. Collens, curator of the impressive sculpture exhibition ‘Mark di Suvero at Governors Island’

In New York harbour is Governor’s Island, a former military base that was originally a retreat for British Royal Governors (which is how it got its name). The US Army left in 1966 and then the Coast Guard was here until 1996, when the base was closed. In 2003, 150 acres of the Island were sold back to the City and State of New York for one dollar. The remaining 22 acres were declared the Governors Island National Monument, which is managed by the National Park Service. The Island is now open to the public and welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. It is visually a striking place on its own account even before pieces of art are installed here, and it has been used for film shoots. The Ridley Scott film, American Gangster was filmed here a few years ago and several television shows, including ‘Law and Order’ and ‘Top Chef’ have been to Governors Island.

 ‘Mark di Suvero at Governors Island’, presented by Storm King Art Center, is the largest outdoor presentation of di Suvero’s sculpture to be shown in New York City since the 1970s. It opened on Governors Island on 27 May 2011 and will run until 25 September. The exhibition comprises 11 works by this iconic American abstract expressionist sculptor (b. 1933), and is sited across the 172-acre expanse of the Island. It is the first exhibition to be organized by Storm King for an outside location. The works in the exhibition are sited throughout Governors Island’s vibrant green spaces. The vistas of the Statue of Liberty, New York Harbour, the Lower Manhattan skyline, and the Brooklyn Bridge from these locations create a view of art that is unique to New York City.

Mark di Suvero’s work has helped to shape our notion of modern sculpture. His monumental, spatially dynamic compositions, created using such industrial materials as I-beams and salvaged steel, reveal a masterful sense of form, composition, and movement, while also conveying poignant emotion and, frequently, a sense of play.

With work ranging in date from 1977 to today, this exhibition reveals the depth and variety that the artist has achieved within his intentionally limited range of materials. Works on loan from Storm King include Mahatma, 1978–79, in which a 7,000-pound beam, bent into a ‘U’ shape, rocks and turns on top of a sentinel-like I-beam, creating continually changing shadows and perspectives; and For Chris, 1991, created by di Suvero as a memorial to his friend the late artist Chris Wilmarth. Also on view is Old Buddy (For Rosko), 1993–95, a composition of vertical and horizontal girders that is at once powerful and playful, named in memory of the artist’s dog.

In addition to the striking outdoor works, the exhibition includes an indoor, changing installation of photographs of di Suvero’s work at Storm King, complemented by video footage of the artist installing his sculpture there.

Sue Ward:What do you think Storm King Art Center are looking for when they choose artists to exhibit, and how does the work of Mark di Suvero fulfil  your requirements?

David R. Collens:‘Mark di Suvero at Governors Island’ is Storm King Art Center’s first off-site exhibition, and Mark was a natural choice for several reasons.  Storm King’s own ‘di Suvero fields’ represent one of the largest installations of  Mark’s sculptures.  He is, therefore, an artist closely associated with Storm King.  The works selected for Governors Island, which are loans from a variety of collections, were created for outdoor display and are of a scale that is well suited to the expanse of Governor’s Island. Also, they are made of steel, and so carry on an interesting dialogue with the urban backdrop of Governors Island. Finally, di Suvero’s New York City studio is in Long Island City, Queens, right on the East River. 

SW:This exhibition is quite large and the works are located on many different parts of the island, did Mark di Suvero or you as curator decide on the placements?

DRC:Mark and I worked as a team to determine where to site the works. Some sculptures have kinetic elements and so we considered factors that would allow them to move freely. Others work well in groups. The larger sculptures look spectacular against the skyline and water, while more intimately scaled works are installed in Nolan Park, with its lawns, pathways, trees, and officers’ quarters as background.

SW:Something that intrigues me is how did you get the sculptures to the Island? Were they floated on the Hudson river?

DRC:Yes, these sculptures were transported in sections by barge to Governors Island.

SW:Do you personally have a favourite piece and if so which and why did you place it where it is?

DRC:I have no favourites among the works on Governors Island.  I admire them all.  However, as the director and curator at Storm King Art Center, it was a great pleasure to install Mahatma, which is from our collection, at the dramatic area on Governors Island called Picnic Point. Visitors see the work against the stunning background of the Statue of Liberty, southern Manhattan, and the harbour. The U-shaped element, a bent 7,000-pound beam, moves with the wind and ‘points’, as it were, to different views, while casting changing shadows.  It is also thrilling to see Mahatma sited near the just-completed Figolu, with its distinctive massive buoys, the monumental Will on loan from the Doris and Donald Fisher Collection, and She, which includes three suspended elements. It makes for a very dynamic installation.

SW:What other exhibitions have you planned for the future?

DRC: We will continue to offer special exhibitions at Storm King, which is open April through mid-November. We hope our relationship with Governors Island will continue when the exhibition closes with their season in late September.

SW:Thank you for giving us your time.

DRC:It is my pleasure.