Why we are still obsessed with the High Line


Photo: Thehighline.org
THE ART! Always a rotating selection of works and commission pieces. Our faves currently on view:
Darren Bader
chess: relatives
May 6, 2017 – April 2018 // On the High Line under The Standard, High Line. Gather 32 friends to pose as human chess pieces with 2 additional players.
Henry Taylor
the floaters
March 17, 2017 – March 2018 // Adjacent to the High Line at West 22nd Street. Henry Taylor is a painter known for his intimate depictions of people, capturing a wide range of subjects that span from his close friends and family, to strangers whose appearances strike him, to celebrities within the African American community. His color-blocked compositions evoke compassion and a sense of shared space, setting the viewer in close conversation with those pictured.
For the High Line, Taylor presents a new version of a self-portrait adapted specifically for its setting on the side of a building at West 22nd Street. The work depicts the artist and a friend “blissed out,” relaxing in a swimming pool at a friend’s house in Palm Springs. Reminiscent of David Hockney’s paintings of Los Angeles swimming pools from the 1960s, the floaters, a title which references the eponymous Detroit R&B group, portrays the artist in a moment of pure, leisurely happiness.
Photo: art.thehighline.org // Henry Taylor the floaters
Read more about art at The Highline.
UPCOMING EVENTS
New York City’s High Line has an incredible lineup of fantastic events — here are a few of our top picks:
ART TOUR: MUTATIONS
DATE & TIME: Second Mondays, May – September, 6 – 7:15 PM
LOCATION: Tour location provided via email following RSVP
From sculptures and murals to performances and videos, the High Line is filled with public art. Join High Line Art Assistant Curator, Melanie Kress for an insider’s view on High Line Art’s current Mutations exhibition.
STARGAZING
DATE & TIME: Every Tuesday, April through October, dusk to 30 minutes before park closes
LOCATION: The Diller-von Furstenberg Sundeck, on the High Line at 14th St.
Head to the High Line each Tuesday night for a romantic walk along the park and a chance to take a closer look at the stars. Peer through high-powered telescopes provided by the knowledgeable members of the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York to see rare celestial sights.
Photo: @highlinenyc
They also have yoga, live music and events for kids. See the entire schedule here.
NEW YORK CITY HISTORY: THE HIGH LINE
The High Line is truly a revitalized piece of New York City’s past. The High Line opened in 1934 as a mode of transporting goods via train from 34th street to a former terminal at Spring Street. Because of growth in the trucking industry, the last train runs on the High Line in 1980. A group of property owners lobbies for demolition while Peter Obletz, a Chelsea resident, activist, and railroad enthusiast, challenges demolition efforts in court. Not until 1999, Friends of the High Line was formed by two residents of the High Line neighborhood, to advocate for the High Line’s preservation and reuse as public open space. Groundbreaking is celebrated in April 2006.
TAKE OUR HIGH LINE TOUR TO EXPERIENCE IT FOR YOURSELF!