Fountain

I went walking with a friend through the plaza at Rockefeller Center last night, where we saw "Electric Fountain," an installation by British artists Tim Noble and Sue Webster. The project was inspired by Rockefeller Center, where it will be on display until April 5.

From the program:

Electric Fountain represents Noble & Webster's modern take on the world's oldest form of public art, the fountain. It simultaneously references iconic pop culture symbols, such as marquee signs in Las Vegas and Times Square, and historical fountains built in civic spaces, such as Bernini's Triton Fountain. A monument for the 21st century, Electric Fountain is a celebration of the spectacle, excess, beauty and desire of contemporary culture and a provocative comment on the nature of consumer society, a theme often present in Noble & Webster's work.

"Electric Fountain mimics the tradition of a fountain as a monument found in public squares around the world, but its magic lies in the emulation of light where water should be," said artist Sue Webster. "During daylight hours the viewer will really get a sense of Electric Fountain's architectural and sculptural qualities as the lights react with the changing moods of New York City's daily weather conditions. As nighttime falls, the sculptural form will slowly disappear into the darkness leaving only the illusion of bright cascading water in its wake."