Halo

1991 34th Street–Herald Square (B, D, F, M, N, Q, R) New York City Transit

In the 34 St-Herald Sq subway station, riders are met by large, luminous orbs that seem to hover in space. Made of coiled aluminum rods that are formed in a manner similar to the way in which ceramicists build pots from clay, the spheres are suspended on a framework of small beams from the larger steel structural components of the station. "Halo" contrasts the aesthetic with the utilitarian and the result is "an unexpected serenity." The artist says, "It was my aim to create an enigmatic distribution of objects that would stand in sharp contrast to the rectilinear nature of the site, and in doing so, to establish an oasis of visual language amid an otherwise functional environment."