Halcyon Days

Halcyon Days is a set of ambitious commissions by an eclectic mix of artists at the Commons at MetroTech Center, now known for the Public Art Fund’s annual exhibitions by younger artists. The five artists featured in this publication created new works exploring diverse notions of leisure and leisure-time activities. The Commons, situated in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn, is a tree-lined and bucolic respite amidst the high-rise corporate offices, busy shopping district and educational complex that surround the area. Responding to the situation, Jason Dodge, Michelle Lopez, Andrew Kromelow, Jude Tallichet and Peter Rostovsky created artworks that address how contemporary society fills leisure hours, the priorities we set and the ideals we hold for our precious “free time.”

Jason Dodge
The Rules of Croquet and The Rules of a Fluttering Heart
New York Times writer Carol Vogel described The Rules of Croquet and The Rules of a Fluttering Heart by Jason Dodge (b.1969, Newton, PA) as exploring “aspects of bourgeois leisure activities like croquet.”

Andrew Kromelow, Metro Tech Maypole Poetry Trailer Park
New York Times writer Carol Vogel described Metro Tech Maypole Poetry Trailer Park by Andrew Kromelow (b.1968, Chicago, IL) as “a cartoonlike installation of an idealized fantasy world.”

Michelle Lopez, Woadsonner
For Halcyon Days, Michelle Lopez (b.1970, USA) created Woadsonner, “a small sports car covered in beige leather and placed on a specially lighted pedestal,” (Carol Vogel, The New York Times).

Peter Rostovsky, Anti-Hero Monument
New York Times writer Carol Vogel described Peter Rostovsky’s (b.1970, St. Petersburg, Russia) Anti-Hero Monument as exploring “historical memory with a sculptural installation that includes an eight-foot-tall mountain on which a tiny bronze figure looks out over the commons.”

Jude Tallichet, White Noise (Ebbets Field)
New York Times critic Roberta Smith described Jude Tallichet’s (b.1954, Louisville, KY) work, White Noise (Ebbets Field) as “a large, ghost-white model of a portion of the lost stadium; its arched exterior evokes the glories of Rome, and every 70 minutes, the sounds of cheering crowds and hot-dog sellers waft through its shell.”