Physical Graffiti?

9/22/2009 Uncategorized

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Or rather ‘Unsanctioned Public Art’… 

This is the Jamaica Pond Bench, by Matthew Hincman.  It was originally installed in 2006- without consent from the city or park authority- along the Eastern edge of the pond.  The piece was removed by the artist shortly after its original appearance, but was later reinstalled (along with a plaque crediting Hincman) because it had gained public favor.  

If the question being asked here is ‘when is a bench no longer a bench?’  I would have to point out that this ‘non-bench’ receives nearly as many patrons as the traditional benches near-by.  Homeless men and women throughout the day, young lovers in the evening and the severely intoxicated at night all seem to prefer this configuration to that of the traditional bench.  So as far as guerilla art goes, maybe this makes Hincman less ‘Shepard Fairey with a welding torch’ and more of a niche furniture designer.

-Ian