Summary

Upon my first ever visit to the High Line, I came across what I found to be a fascinating display of six sharks positioned at 10th Avenue Square. I was told beforehand that the High Line is known for exhibiting large sculptures and its environmental themes. After doing a quick Google search, I found out that this image I photographed is Cosima Von Bonin’s “WHAT IF THEY BARK?”. The sharks are all equally spaced apart in a straight line, with each one lined up on top of a pole. Each shark is different, and the lineup of all these 3D sharks together really captured the attention of my peers and gave us a ‘surreal feeling’.

They are organized very neatly in an outdoor space, signifying the importance of rhythm and direction when trying to capture one’s attention. The background of the sharks is simply a view of the surrounding area in the city, and staring at these sharks, which are positioned decently high up, prompts tourists to stare up into New York City’s skyline. Some of the sharks have specks, hints of green, grays, light blue, and differing eyes. A few also have miscellaneous objects like a guitar and chains that help separate “WHAT IF THEY BARK” from the High Line’s greenery. As aforementioned, each shark has different features and accessories, with one even biting an object and others having cloth/fabric-like materials integrated into their design. The poles strike a contrast to the high-volume structure of the sharks, and the structures themselves appear to be made of strong materials capable of handling dangerous weather conditions. This fact further proves the sculpture to be in line with the sheer aesthetic and theme of the NYC cultural art center—being able to fit into both natural and artificial environments. As previously stated, the high positioning of the sharks makes viewers likely to look up, conveying a sense of enchantment and fantasy. Depending on which way you look at it, the contrast between the vertical sharks vs. the horizontal lining of the High Line itself contributes to a deeper theme of urban vs. industrialization.

The High Line was able to transform the concept of public space into a heightened aesthetic experience of viewing NYC by doing something absolutely remarkable—it was able to convert an abandoned railway into an area that mixes the beauty of art into the very nature of NYC. Instead of being exclusively indoors and not blending in with the city, the High Line does the very opposite—and I truly believe once going to see it in person will bring your appreciation of NYC’s skyline and architecture to a whole new level. “WHAT IF THEY BARK” encourages viewers to question certain boundaries, perhaps the one of urban life vs. creative expression, and also think of the city as a means of truly releasing the High Line as a cultural powerhouse. One thing’s for certain: without NYC, the displays are nothing, and without these works of art, the city is just the standard city. They both need each other to flow when viewing this from the tourist perspective. Lastly, when we begin to ponder on all of these different approaches to understanding public art, we learn this: The High Line was able to turn urban development into an experience like no other, one that allows viewers to understand how art can enhance industrialization and vice versa… and how public spaces can be a means of creative expression.