‘Black Rock Negative Energy Absorber’ Planted in First Park
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You were waiting with bated breath, and now it’s finally here. A strange, ten-foot sculpture that feeds off negativity like that painted freak Vigo the Carpathian (and his pink slime) from Ghostbusters 2. As expected, artist Rudy Sheperd’s “Black Rock Negative Energy Absorber” is now planted firmly by the Second Avenue entrance of First Park. It’s there to soak up neighborhood negativity.
The sci-fi-esque sculpture – presented by First Street Green – is composed of wood, metal lathe, and colored concrete. Shepherd created the black rock as “political art” aimed at “expunging negative energy” from viewers, and to facilitate open-mindedness.
In Shepherd’s own words:
The Black Rock Negative Energy Absorbers are a group of sculptures with a magical function: to expunge negative energy from viewers – in the form of prejudice, racism, or even quotidian disdain – and allow them to respond to life with the more open, compassionate, and positive aspects of their personalities. The series is on the one hand a response to living in New York City for the last twelve years and witnessing the madness that takes place in this American microcosm. At the same time, it is also an approach to political art that seeks to push the dialogue started in the late 80’s/early 90’s forward into 2014 by looking at the problems of society in a more comprehensive way and advancing practices culled from new age mythology and ancient religions to heal our still divided and troubled country.
One question: what if this angers people? Is that negativity automagically absorbed?
The Black Rock Negative Energy Absorber will be doing dirty work in First Park until November.
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