Arts for Transit and Urban Design

170th Street

Dina Bursztyn

Views from Above, 2006

Faceted glass in platform windscreens and mezzanine windows

Dina Bursztyn's series of faceted glass windscreens and windows uses the unique vantage point offered from the elevated city's trains and platforms. Bursztyn became especially well acquainted with the "el" in the Bronx while riding it for many years. Explaining the inspiration for the work, Bursztyn says that the birds and trees told her stories. She viewed tiny gardens of lushness and dreamed of the exotic animals living in the zoo nearby. In the evening, sunsets filled the sky with a kaleidoscope of color. The train rides almost felt like riding through the clouds. The artist strove to bring new meaning to familiar locations by sharing these visions.