Alan Saret
Brick Wall and Sun
1976
Location: Third floor, eastern end of the north wing
In all of his work, Alain Saret shows great interest in using mutable material to create non-static sculptures. As he stated: "The flexure of each material draws a line in space which corresponds identically to its physical properties. Nature, therefore, draws the final line in the art." In Brick Wall and Sun, sunlight is the natural medium that influences the general shape of the sculpture. As part of P.S.1's initial exhibition Rooms, this site-specific installation consists of a carefully sized and shaped hole dug out of the brick wall. When the sunlight faces the exterior side of the building, a focused stream light enters the hallway and shines down to the floor.


Staircases

William Kentridge
Stair Procession
2000
Location: Staircase B
This site-specific installation was curated by Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev as part of P.S.1's Vertical Painting series initiated by Alanna Heiss in 1997. Created for P.S.1's northwest stairwell, Stair Procession is a white-on-black drawing similar to white chalk graffiti. The constricted nature of the staircase played a role in the artist's decision to use anamorphic distortions. Kentridge evokes the building's original function as a public school in establishing both the subject matter and method.


Ernesto Caivano
In the Woods
2004
Location: Staircase A
For P.S.1's stairwell A, Ernesto Caivano created a wall mural based on an ongoing story he developed over three years called After the Woods. While After the Woods consists of drawings and paper sculptures, In the Woods is composed of black latex paint and gouache to create a dense visual web of images composing Caivano's larger-than-life sized environment. The exaggerated scale of the piece creates a total experience for the viewer, allowing an escape into this imaginary world. Naked and gnarled tree branches wind around the walls and sprout up and out onto the ceiling, entangling the viewer in their dark and magical embrace.