art + beat ( ish )

25+ Million

From todays NYT  : 

Visitors to the High Line, the elevated park on a formerly derelict rail line, might someday be greeted by a vision even more improbable than the park itself, which has become one of Manhattan’s top tourist draws: A massive locomotive dangling from a crane. The sculpture, by Jeff Koons, would be a full-size replica of a 1943 Baldwin 2900 steam locomotive. Called simply “Train,” it has not yet been fabricated. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art has conducted its own feasibility studies for the project and is still exploring the possibility of acquiring the artwork, which is estimated to cost at least $25 million to create and install. But Mr. Koons, a polarizing artist whose most famous public sculpture is perhaps his 43-foot-tall flower-covered puppy, has recently been in talks with Robert Hammond and Joshua David, founders of the nonprofit conservancy Friends of the High Line. The group, which fought to save the railway from demolition and now manages the park, will honor Mr. Koons at its annual benefit in May. Mr. Hammond said that Friends of the High Line had long sought to highlight the park’s rail history. Once before, in 2008, the group considered the “Train” sculpture for a plaza at 10th Avenue and 18th Street, but the work was too big to fit there. “We’ve had a crush on the ‘Train’ for a while now,” Mr. Hammond said in a phone interview on Monday. “To me, it looks very industrial and sculptural. The craftsmanship that went into these industrial engines is quite beautiful.” The sculpture, to be constructed of steel and carbon fiber, would weigh several tons. It would also occasionally spin its wheels, blow a horn and emit steam. In a statement, Mr. Koons said, “The power and the dynamic of the ‘Train’ represents the ephemeral energy that runs through the city every day.” The one major obstacle is money. Friends of the High Line is focusing its energy on raising tens of millions of dollars to complete the third and final leg of the park. The last half-mile section, which hugs the West Side rail yards, runs west to 12th Avenue from 30th Street and 10th Avenue, and then continues north to 34th Street. Mr. Hammond said he hoped that a donor would step forward to sponsor the entire artwork, which could either hang permanently or for several years. ( the rest )

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