David Ellis trash sculpture in Times Square

This could be the best piece of street or public art ever to grace the streets of New York City. I guess we’ll see…

March 2-8 2010, during the Armory Arts Week and in addition to a booth at SCOPE Art Show, Anonymous Gallery collaborates with the Times Square Alliance to present a public installation from artists David Ellis and Roberto Lange. The kinetic sound sculpture, conceptualized by Ellis and composed by Lange, will be carefully positioned in the Duffy Square area of Times Square near 46th and Broadway.

The sculptures are made from scavenged refuse found on the street: buckets, bottles, trash cans, paper shreds, cardboard boxes that are syncopated using programming and player piano actuators to create percussive, rhythmic beats and tones. The installation, as only a collection of debris, plays on the public’s perception of trash. The placement, and more importantly the activation in the public arena, creates dialog with unassuming crowds that amass.

Although the public installation is meant for undiscerning spectators, similar works by David Ellis and Roberto Lange can be found in permanent collections including The Margulies Collection and most recently, through Anonymous Gallery, The Saatchi Collection.

If you’re not already familiar with Ellis and Lange’s trash sculptures, here are some videos of their work in Miami (the piece that Saatchi bought I believe).