Friday, August 6, 2004

INSIDE ART

Allan McCollum. Three Perfect Vehicles,1988/2004. Acrylic latex paint on glass fiber reinforced concrete. 80 x 36 inches each. Making an Entrance By CAROL VOGEL or the first time in more than a decade, the Conceptual artist Allan McCollum is producing three new sculptures for his "Perfect Vehicles" series, which he began in 1985. And the work will be his first to be shown outdoors in New York. The sculptures, in the shape of giant Chinese ginger jars, have been fashioned from glass-fiber-reinforced concrete and painted with solid, bold colors. They will be at the Doris C. Freedman Plaza, flanking the southeast entrance to Central Park, at 60th Street, from Sept. 8 until February, when Christo and Jeanne-Claude's "Gates" project will be installed. "It's the first time we've thought about the Doris Freedman Plaza as a gateway to the park," said Tom Eccles, director of the Public Art Fund, a nonprofit organization that presents art around the city. "Generally, we've used the space as an open-air art gallery." Mr. Eccles said it was also important to the Public Art Fund to show the work of a New York artist. "We've gotten so well known for commissioning international artists," he said, "but we have a great enthusiasm for New York artists, too." Mr. Eccles said he hoped the nearly 10-foot-tall sculptures would go to museums after the show.