Oz on Seventh Avenue

You learn things from obituaries. We already know this. You also learn that what you thought might be an answer is not the answer, and there still is a mystery.

Take the recent obituary of Tony Rosenthal, a modern sculptor who just passed away. His works are famous and familiar. More familiar than his name it seems, but that happens. He did the metal sculpture, "5 in 1," in front of Police Plaza in lower Manhattan, the tilted cube Alamo, also in lower Manhattan, and a Dag Hammarskjold piece that was on exhibit near the U.N., but later moved to Fashion Institute of Technology, on Seventh Avenue.

And this is when I thought I had an answer. I pass this pictured piece of sculpture every day on my way to work. There are no markings on it, so maybe it is a Tony Rosenthal piece. The obit did say he was not that well known. Not to have your name on a sculpture is more anonymity than I'd care to have, but maybe it's so.

Turns out it isn't his piece. It's not the Dag Hammarskjold piece, which is modern, but looks nothing like this piece. So, who did it?

Turns out, no one seems to know. An e-mail from the fellow who took and posted the photo, Stephen Sandoval, asked me to get back to him if I found out. The people at F.I.T. don't answer e-mail. The people at the FIT museum, at whose entrance this sits nearly in front of, don't know either. A few Chelsea art organizations don't seem to log on with an answer either.

I like the sculpture, but it is in terrible shape. Dirty, at least. Every day I'm expecting to see a Stuart Dean, or Remco cleaning crew polishing the piece up. For a few years now: no. Stephen's photo is actually flattering, even though wear can be seen. It doesn't even look that good right now.

The sculpture appears to be in the Witness Protection program. And maybe for good reason. I've always wondered how the Fashion Institute building design ever left the drawing board. It was someone's good idea once. I wonder if it still is. To me, the only that should be in front of it is a wrecking ball.

At least Shelley's famous poem Ozymandias tells the story of the king, Ozymandias, whose name appears on the desert sculpture. No one here wants anything to do with what's on Seventh Avenue.

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