Arts for Transit and Urban Design

23rd Street-Ely Avenue/Long Island City - Court Square

Frank Olt

Temple Quad Reliefs, 1992

Glass mosaic and ceramic reliefs on station platforms and mezzanine

The artwork consists of four large-scale ceramic murals that contain sculpted forms that depict architectural formations set into a mosaic background. Frank Olt feels that the Archways represent a symbol of welcome, strength and beauty. Their form and rich color derive from Romanesque architecture, and provide a welcoming point of entry. The Gothic Circle symbolizes endurance, renewal and perpetuity, and is designed to inspire commuters traveling to and from work. The Greek Temple Quad, as Olt describes it, "consists of four house-shaped pieces, and reinforces the theme of welcome and comfort, but itself resembles a cityscape or place of commerce with all the societal vitality that it implies."