Robert Funk
5:45 to Great Neck, 1978
Inkjet Archival Print
29 × 43 in / 73.7 × 109.2 cm
$ 3,600.00
You can not do this shot today. You would be arrested within 30 seconds. Ok, so what is going on in this picture? I painted a necky giraffe on primed...
You can not do this shot today. You would be arrested within 30 seconds. Ok, so what is going on in this picture? I painted a necky giraffe on primed plywood to a height of 7 feet and then silhouetted it with a jigsaw. The painting was then cut into two sections at the base of the giraffe's neck. This was done so that I could easily carry it on the subway. I wanted to place it in a powerful, confrontational location. I reassembled the giraffe painting at the base of the escalator in Grand Central station that leads up to the PanAm building or 200 Park Ave. That's right, it's a giraffe in Grand Central. The time is rush hour and all the suits were scrambling to get back home to Westchester and Long Island. This was shot in 1978 before the era of terrorism. Fortunately, I was able to get about 25 frames off set against the descending column of nasty looks. Then security surrounded me and the shoot was over. Look carefully, just behind the right front leg, you will see and wood stick. The stick is attached to the back of the giraffe and forms a tripod to allow it to stand upright. In a sense, this is an early performance piece. It's not quite a Grand Central Station "Flash Mob" but maybe a Giraffe Flash Mob of One.