Shepherding in New York City – Getty Station
Strolling around New York City after dinner and a vintage crozes hermitage is high up on my list of fun things to do. The tidal ebb and flow of pedestrians, zig-zagging yellow cabs, bright city lights and rolling pastures with grazing sheep morph into a tapestry of colors, sounds and smells that are uniquely synonymous with the Big Apple.
Wait… did I say rolling pastures and grazing sheep?
Grazing Sheep? At a gas station in NYC?
Yes, that’s right – sheep in the city!
My eyes didn’t deceive. A former Getty gas station, at the intersection of 10th Avenue and 24th Street, now houses a public art installation known as Getty Station. A surreal rolling grass landscape features 25 sheep statues. The entire installation is juxtaposed against the industrial backdrop of a modern gas station.
Unleaded BAaaaaaa-aaaa, please!
A representative of Getty Station demystified the strange scene for me. The exhibit, created by Michal Shvo and Paul Kasmin Gallery, pays homage to the late Francois-Xavier Lalanne, an artist that specialized in surrealistic sculpture. Lalanne unveiled 7 exhibits over the course of his lifetime featuring his famous stone and bronze sheep sculptures. The first, titled Les Noveaux Moutons, was launched in 1965. Getty Station, which debuted on September 17, 2013, features the largest collection ever of Lalanne’s ‘moutons’ in a single art exhibit.
The exhibit was slated to close on October 20th, 2013 as the location prepares for the construction of luxury apartments. However, as of mid-November, the exhibit remains publicly viewable. Visit soon if you’d like to try your hand at shepherding some stone sheep in one of NYC’s strangest outdoor exhibits!
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The Sheep Station Vitals:
Location: 239 10th Avenue (Corner of 10th Ave/24th St.)
Website: www.gettystation.com/