Flock is among several Lalanne sculptures along Park Ave. (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Park Avenue Malls between 52nd & 57th Sts.
Through November 20
Admission: free
www.paulkasmingallery.com
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Since September 13, a series of fun, surreal works by eighty-five-year-old sculptor Claude Lalanne and her late husband, François-Xavier, who died last year, have been grabbing the attention of passersby and motorists along Park Ave. between 52nd & 57th Sts. The sculptures, primarily cast in bronze, depict several members of the animal kingdom in addition to a few rather large fruits and vegetables in the middle of Midtown Manhattan. Claude’s contributions include “Pomme de New York,” a giant golden apple that pays tribute to one of the city’s nicknames; “Choupatte (Très Grand),” a cabbage with bird’s feet; and “Nouveau Lapin de Victoire,” a tall rabbit standing regally with a cane in front of it. François-Xavier adds “Mouton Transhumant (Brebis)” and “Beliers (m),” a flock of a dozen sheep and lambs grazing on the Park Ave. grass as the traffic whirs by; “Poisson Paysage,” a fish with a rectangular hole in its center; “Singe Avisé (Très Grand),” a black monkey turning to look over its right shoulder; “Oiseau de Nuit (grand),” a confused owl staring straight ahead; and two casts of “Wapiti,” a pair of deer, one on 54th Street near Madison Ave. and the other along the median. Presented by the Fund for Park Ave. and the Paul Kasmin Gallery, “Les Lalanne on Park Ave.” offers pedestrians a chance to relax amid all the Midtown maelstrom.