seeking Tilted Arc
In 1980 the General Service Administration (GSA) commissioned Richard Serra to place a piece of art in front in the plaza outside the Jakob J Javits federal office building and the U.S. Court of International Trade. “Tilted Arc” soon attracted negative feedback from the public. Eventually, after 10 years, ridiculous amounts of litigation, and general drama, it was removed. To remove the work was to destroy it as it was a site specific piece. The GSA has since been moving its remains from storage facility to storage facility as there is no precedent as how to decommission it.
My research looks for an alternative to an embodied art experience by exploring the relocation of “Tilted Arc.” Using satellite imagery, the work takes into consideration a more technological experience of place and follows a specific document trail, supplied by numerous FOIA requests and conversations with current and retired GSA employees.
