Press Release
Artist Bio
Sponsorship
Location
Bibliography

concrete, steel
At Doris C. Freedman Plaza
Fifth Avenue and 60th Street

fiberglass, vinyl seats
At the south end of Central Park

May 1999 - March 2000

Point of Interest was Andrea Zittel's first public project in the United States. Jutting up from the surface of the active southeast entrance to Central Park, Point of Interest was composed of two giant faux rock outcroppings constructed from steel armatures covered in concrete. Measuring 9 feet tall, the first rock emerged from the ground almost vertically. The second rock's surface sloped up from ground-level to 6 feet at its highest point and measured 24 x 20 feet in total surface area. The gentle slope of the second rock functioned as both a monument and a seating alternative to the typical park bench. Point of Interest served as a reminder that Central Park itself is a meticulously planned natural environment, built for the enjoyment of city-dwellers.

Andrea Zittel's A-Z Deserted Islands, originally created for the 1997 Münster Sculpture Project, were sited a few yards away from Point of Interest. Seen for the first time in the United States, these white, fiberglass islands resembled small, irregularly shaped recreational boats with their white vinyl padded seats, crisp "racing stripes," and A-Z logos. Each Deserted Island was equipped with a seat for one, reflecting our occasional need for isolation. As separate units in close proximity to one another, these sculptures ultimately created an intimate community of Deserted Islands, providing a sense of individuality with the comforts of community nearby.

Artist Bio
Andrea Zittel was born in Escondido, California, in 1965. She received a BFA in painting and sculpture in 1988 from San Diego State University, and an MFA in sculpture in 1990 from the Rhode Island School of Design. In the early 1990s she founded A-Z Administrative Services, which sells prototypes and designs that help individuals organize their domestic spaces. She has had recent solo exhibitions and installations at Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York; Gallery Side 2, Tokyo; Boise Art Museum, Idaho; Maryland Institute of Art, Baltimore; and International Print Center, New York.

Sponsorship
Point of Interest and A-Z Deserted Islands were projects sponsored by the Public Art Fund and Bloomberg News. Additional support was provided by The Silverweed Foundation, The Peter Norton Family Foundation, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Fifth Floor Foundation, and Agnes Gund and Daniel Shapiro, with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, A State Agency, and the City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs.

Point of Interest and A-Z Deserted Islands were also made possible through the cooperation and support of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.