Presented by Friends of the High Line, High Line Art is pleased to announce High Art: Public Art on the High Line, the definitive book on the first five years of High Line Art. This catalogue surveys over 100 public art projects on the High Line, the unique elevated park in New York City created through the repurposing of an abandoned railway line. Since 2009, when the High Line opened to the public, over 23 million visitors have been witness to public art projects by over 120 national and international artists, animating the grounds of this unique "park in the sky." The works include sculpture, installation, billboards, video, performance, and sound works by a range of artists, from established figures such as John Baldessari, El Anatsui, Maurizio Cattelan, Gilbert & George, and Ed Ruscha, to critically acclaimed mid-career artists such as Carol Bove, Raymond Pettibon, Sarah Sze, and Mark Grotjahn. The High Line is steadily broadening the audience for contemporary art while pushing the boundaries of traditional public art programs.
This beautifully illustrated volume presents High Line Art's diverse projects thematically, including full-color images and short texts on artworks, artists's texts, an introduction by High Line Art Director & Chief Curator Cecilia Alemani, an essay on the history of Chelsea and the Meatpacking District by art critic Linda Yablonsky, as well as original texts by Johanna Burton, Adrienne Edwards, Melanie Kress, and Kevin McGarry. The book also features a roundtable discussion about public art today featuring Cecilia Alemani, Nicholas Baume, Renaud Proch, Manon Slome, Sara Reisman, and Nato Thompson.