Documented artwork / monumental outdoor sculpture

Big Bling

Credit as documented: Martin Puryear

Big Bling is Martin Puryear’s monumental timber sculpture commissioned by Madison Square Park Conservancy. Stacked levels, an opening through the center and a gold-covered shackle combine architectural and animal-like forms. The apparent invitation to climb is contradicted by the chain-link enclosure, making access and exclusion part of the work’s interpretation. The Conservancy records its New York exhibition from May 2016 to April 2017. Association for Public Art subsequently presented it beside Philadelphia’s Kelly Drive from June through November 2017.

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Verified artwork imageImage: madisonsquarepark.org ↗

At a glance

Year / version: 2016
Materials: pressure-treated laminated timbers, plywood, chain-link fencing, fiberglass, gold leaf
Documented setting: outdoor
Dimensions: 40 ft high
Dimensions apply to: Published overall height; no width, depth or transport envelope established.
Availability: Unconfirmed

Places & versions

Installation history

Historical presentations. A past installation does not establish the current location or suitability for a new site.

May 16, 2016 – April 2, 2017 (past exhibition)
Madison Square Park, New York
Installation source
June – November 2017 (past presentation)
Kelly Drive, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Installation source
Date not documented
MASS MoCA, southern campus perimeter, North Adams, Massachusetts
Installation source

Materials and construction

Art21’s firsthand fabrication account identifies Unalam’s curved glulam beams and Jon Lash of Digital Atelier’s discussion of the industrial surface. MASS MoCA documents its later restoration and placement at the museum’s southern edge, connecting the factory campus with downtown North Adams. That institution’s undated promise of a five-year stay is not a verified current-location statement.

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Outdoor sculpture & installations ↗