“Creative Time: The Book”, by Anne Pasternak and Ruth Pelaston, et. al.
Author of this post: Tara MacKay | About Blog Authors »
It’s been over four years since I moved away from New York City. And if you had asked me last week if I missed the city’s public art, I might have shrugged and said, “Yeah, I guess so.” But ask me now, after reading Creative Time: The Book, and it’s a different story. That’s the thing about public art in New York: It’s so ingrained in the city itself that you take it for granted, rarely thinking about the forces and meaning behind it.
Creative Time is a non-profit group that has spent 33 years contributing to the city’s public art scene with hundreds of innovative projects and programs. You may have never heard of them, or even many of the promising artists that they have sponsored, but their contribution to the city is profound. You have likely seen more of their work than you realize, like the “9/11 Tribute in Light,” which I used to stare at from the back window of my Brooklyn apartment.
Creative Time: The Book documents the group’s tremendous city art projects—like 1990’s “Cardboard City” at Lincoln Center and this year’s cinematic art on the MoMA façade—in striking photographic and written detail. Extensive accounts from many different contributors give you insight into each project—this is an art book you’ll want to read, not just skim the pretty pictures. It instantly makes every project (especially the ones that are more experimental and harder for the public to grasp) more meaningful, and the value of an organization like Creative Time is clearer and clearer on every page.
The timeline at the end of the book is particularly interesting to me, as you can quickly see how Creative Time’s art often responds to current concerns such as war, AIDS, and terrorism. For New Yorkers especially, the timeline and photos throughout the book are likely to bring back a lot of memories; but no matter where you live, this book will make you think more about public art and its relation to current events.
If the inside of this book isn’t enough to give it prime placement on your coffee table, the cover might. Every cover of every copy of the book is unique, presenting “snapshot” graphs of conditions in New York at a specific moment in time. Mine shows that it was windy and noisy in the East Village on 9/8/06 at 11:11 PM.
This uniqueness is yet another example of the Creative Time creative minds at work. Understanding the mindset it takes to have such a strong impact on such a strong city, shaping the city itself, is a bit intimidating. But it can also be empowering, shaping your appreciation of public art and even contributing to your own creative process. As David Byrne says on the back cover, “Viva Creative Time!”
