Arts for Transit and Urban Design

Wall Street

James Garvey

Lariat Tapers, 2011

Hand-forged Bronze seat rests around platform columns

Artist James Garvey hand forged functional bronze sculptures and designed them to literally integrate into the station’s architecture. The nine sculptural Lariat Tapers wrap around the Tuscan columns at the historic Wall Street station. Since the station is located in the financial district, Garvey crafted these functional seats to convey the location of the wind-swept “corridors of finance”. The tapers swirl in a clockwise direction around the columns to depict the motion of trains swooping into the station. Comparing the Lariat Tapers to Garvey’s precedent artwork Lariat Seat Loops sited at the 33rd Street Station (6), the Lariat Tapers are realized as a more sensuous form, a deliberate attempt to interact with and catch the attention of commuters who work in the financial district. At the 33rd Street Station, the dynamic between the Seat Loop and the historic I-beam column imparts a uniquely fresh impression, while Garvey’s design for the Wall Street Station acknowledges, respects, and highlights the station’s history and architecture.