Arthur Weyhe Untitled

Evoking images of totems and primitive structures, Arthur Weyhe’s silvery cedar pole sculpture soars 26 feet into the sky from Waterside Plaza, its natural beauty challenging the stone and steel of New York City’s skyline.

The untitled sculpture is constructed of 28 white cedar poles, and stands 26’ x 80’ x 40’. Weyhe (1917–2015) selects his wood in Vermont, seeking out trees that are tall and straight. The cutting and preparation of the selected trees are then done by hand. Working with the aid of a rigger, the Waterside sculpture took Weyhe over a week to erect on the site.

Writing in Arts Magazine, Jeffrey Hoffeld, former Director of the Neuberger Museum, described Weyhe’s work as “architecture without a skin,” adding that “the permanent outdoor installations all call upon the surroundings of earth, grass, sky, clouds, trees, and adjacent buildings to supplement the work by filling in the interstices of the poles, paradoxically providing limits and boundaries for this open-air architecture.”