AT ROCKEFELLER CENTER
Art in Focus: Vanessa German
A liberating vision at Rockefeller Center
January 14, 2020
In the next installment of the Art in Focus series at Rockefeller Center, bold patterns and colors meet striking self-presentation. Pittsburgh-based visual and performance artist Vanessa German has created site-specific pieces for the exhibition, entitled The Holiest Wilderness Is Freedom, which opens Wednesday, January 15.
German transforms the three vitrines inside the lobby of 45 Rockefeller Plaza into spaces devoted to "power figure" sculptures, each dedicated to a "muse of the human spirit: Love, Imagination, Beauty and Nature." Materials such as gems, crystals, textiles, 14K gold leaf, and found objects adorn the installations, designed to immerse the viewer in a wondrous experience.
In other locations throughout the Center, including 10, 30 and 50 Rock, the works display layers of multimedia images, such as bright geometric shapes bordering photographs of people adorned with face and body painting, elaborate jewelry, clothing, hair wrappings and other ornamentation.
On Sunday, February 9, German will lead a free artmaking workshop for kids on the Concourse level of 30 Rock (11am–2pm). She's the first of four artists participating in Art in Focus this year, with upcoming artists include Ryan Flores, Genevieve Gaignard and Sanford Biggers.
Vanessa German's The Holiest Wilderness Is Freedom runs January 15 to April 5, 2020 at Rockefeller Center.
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