In the Garment District, five massive 25,000 pound granite structures are erected between 36th and 41st streets. Created by artist Harry Gordon, the stone installations are known collectively as Mass Medium or, individually, as Sandalphon, Snaphance, Enki, Flying Canoe and Grasshopper.
The monuments, situated at the center of busy plazas, somehow coexist in harmony with New York City’s industrial façade, allowing passersby to “experience stone” in an unique way.
To produce the pieces, Gordon first collected fragments of discarded granite, which he later assembled together using a crane.
“When I incorporate several elements together to construct a sculpture, I am looking at the way they relate to each other, and ultimately how they work together as a whole,” he states on his website.
To accomplish his goal, he works with ancient mediums in their natural state. Mass Medium also draws inspiration from old legends and folklore.
The description for Flying Canoe reads, “A cautionary tale of making deals with the devil, inspired by a Native American legend.”
Due to the sheer size of the monuments, Barbara Blair Randall, the Garment District Alliance president, had expressed her belief that Mass Medium would become the most popular winter art installation in New York.
New Yorkers have become so used to seeing the structures that it may now be hard to envision the plazas without them. They're up until the end of April.
