"Points of Observation" by Kathleen McCarthy expands on previous work by the artist that was first introduced in 1990. The updated work brings together five large-scale wire-mesh sculptures of heads with 15 new laminated glass panels, creating a dialogue between past and present elements of the station’s public art.

Originally part of a five-station series titled "Five Points of Observation," mesh heads from Cypress Hills and 75 St stations have been relocated to join the existing sculpture at Woodhaven Blvd. The heads, each measuring six feet from top to chin and four feet wide, were fabricated by the artist in copper mesh, using a technique called Repoussé, also used by Frederic Bartholdi to create the Statue of Liberty.

The new glass panels, fabricated by Tom Patti Design, feature patterns derived from natural forms, including the radial structure of a pine seedling stem, the shell of a diamondback terrapin, and the cellular structure of a corn plant. These organic motifs contrast with the geometric grid of the mesh sculptures and the station’s architectural framework. The combination of materials and imagery offers a layered visual experience, inviting riders to observe both the built and natural environments from multiple perspectives.

Kathleen McCarthy is an artist and ecologist living and working in New York City. Her photographs about animal vision led her to pursue a Master of Science in Ecology & Evolution. As an ecological restoration project manager for the NYC Parks Department, she collaborated on projects that restore degraded urban landscapes to wetlands and forests that support our native flora and fauna. McCarthy’s focus in both art and conservation is the relationship and porous intersection of the human and non-human world. The artist was the recipient of two NEA grants and has exhibited in the United States and internationally. In addition to public art for MTA, she designed permanent artwork for NYC Parks’ Willow Lake Playground in Queens.