David Hammons's 'Day's End' Monument to Gordon Matta-Clark Raises Questions About Public Memory in New York
David Hammons's installation 'Day's End' (2021) outlines the former Pier 52 in steel, situated over the Hudson River in Manhattan. This piece pays tribute to Gordon Matta-Clark's 1975 work of the same name. The concept originated in 2015 at the Whitney Museum, where Hammons presented a sketch called 'Monument to Gordon Matta-Clark' shortly thereafter. The museum facilitated the project's development using high-quality steel. Matta-Clark's original 'Day's End' was realized in 1975, and the pier was taken down in 1979, just a year after his untimely passing at 35. The location was known as a prominent gay cruising spot, captured by photographer Alvin Baltrop. Hammons's work prompts reflection on New York's transition from industrial decline to privatization and the nature of public memory.
Key facts
- David Hammons created a public steel sculpture titled 'Day's End' as a monument to Gordon Matta-Clark.
- The sculpture traces the outline of the demolished Pier 52 over the Hudson River in Manhattan, New York.
- Gordon Matta-Clark's original 'Day's End' artwork from 1975 involved cutting openings into Pier 52.
- Pier 52 was a gay cruising and sex site documented by photographer Alvin Baltrop before its 1979 demolition.
- The Whitney Museum of American Art, under Director Adam Weinberg, supported the sculpture's construction after a 2015 meeting with Hammons.
- Matta-Clark died in 1978 at age 35; his 'anarchitecture' philosophy reused decaying infrastructure for liberation.
- The sculpture's plaque omits mention of Baltrop or the site's queer history, focusing on Matta-Clark.
- Hammons's design uses high-grade steel beams, buffed to gleam, and appears temporary despite being permanent.
Entities
Artists
- David Hammons
- Gordon Matta-Clark
- Alvin Baltrop
- Arch Brown
- Donald Wall
Institutions
- Whitney Museum of American Art
Locations
- Manhattan
- New York
- USA
- Hudson River
- Pier 52
- West Side Highway