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DUMBO Sculpture Mimics Michelangelo's David When Seen from Above

By Janet Upadhye | November 18, 2013 5:35pm
 London-based artist Nick Hornby recently erected his first public art sculpture —"Bird God Drone"— in DUMBO.
Nick Hornby's "Bird God Drone"
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DUMBO — Three new public art sculptures recently popped up in DUMBO — and one of them is best seen from the sky.

London-based sculptor Nick Hornby (no relation to the author) created "Bird God Drone," which features a silhouette of the outline of Michelangelo’s David statue, but the silhouette is only visible from above.

"In Bird God Drone the silhouette of David’s conquering and classical Renaissance body lies horizontally, flush with the ground," said Lisa Kim who commissioned the artwork. "And it can only be seen by workers peering out of windows, tourists crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, birds, gods, and drones."

"Bird God Drone" is presented by a partnership between Two Trees Management CO and NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program and was envisioned and created within a six weeks time frame.

"We had another artist planning an artwork for the space and at the last minute he dropped out," Kim said. "I have admired Hornby's work for years and asked him to do it. Two days later he was in."

Hornby — who has gallery space in London and in Chelsea — is known for taking classical sculpture and using digital technology to consider new ways of viewing the work. "Bird God Drone" was 3D-printed from a synthetic composite and then "extruded vertically over 12-feet to converge at a single point."

Accompanying the sculpture is a video of the piece shot from above by a surveillance drone. The video can be viewed online.

The sculpture is located on Clumber Corner, located at the intersection of Washington and Prospect Streets.

Grayson Cox's "Half Story Mountain" — a rock formation featuring a chaise lounge embedded into its side — is also on display in DUMBO along with Allen Glatter's metal sculpture crafted from a single, continous line entitled "Tally-Ho."

"Half Story Mountain" can be seen on the Main Street Lawn of Brooklyn Bridge Park and "Tally-Ho" is on display at York and Front Streets.