Client: Commissioned by the NYC Department of Education, NYC School Construction Authority Public Art for Public Schools program, in collaboration with NYPC Department of Cultural Affairs Percent for Art program
Architect: RKTB Architects
Photo credits: Ngoc Minh Ngo
Technique: one layer of printed and one of dichroic glass, laminated to safety glass.
DESCRIPTION: Corinne Ulmann’s site-specific artwork for PS 19 Addition, Bronx spans the entire upper east wall of the lobby from the front entrance to the play yard. The artwork, titled Tree, is made of 44 laminated glass panels mounted perpendicular to the wall. The panels are arranged in a horizontal row creating the effect of a long clerestory window. Each panel is composed of a printed image laminated to a dichroic glass that reflects different colors from different directions. Viewed as a whole, the panels reveal the canopy of a large tree that comes alive as you move around the space. From the right, the imagery reads as lush shades of green leaves. From the left, it reflects yellow and gold abstract shapes. In between are magical combinations of the two. Colors reflect onto the walls between the glass and sparkling shadows are cast on the floor. As light in the space changes from morning to night, so does the artwork. Its shapes and colors move and shift throughout the day, changing day to day, resulting in a dynamic experience that is always unique. The visual landscape created by Tree is meant to inspire connections to the natural world and to serve as a metaphor for growth and learning.