The Met rooftop garden in New York City is now featuring a new monumental installation called ‘Eastside of South Central Los Angeles Hieroglyph Prototype Architecture (I).’ The piece definitely offers an interesting juxtaposition and testifies to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s dedication to exploring the juncture of traditional symbols and contemporary styles of presentation.
The Eastside of South Central Los Angeles Hieroglyph Prototype Architecture (I) was designed by the American artist Lauren Halsey who adorned a cubic structure, four pillars, and four sphinx statues—all with “decidedly Egyptian [form]—with engravings that are inspired by the graffiti and street art popular in South Central Los Angeles. The similarity between Halsey’s engravings and ancient hieroglyphs is intentional. Through the piece, the artist hopes to evoke an “architectural container of community archives and histories.”
Image Credit: Hyla Skopitz, courtesy of the Metrpolitan Museum of Art
