by Jeanne Jackson
December 22, 1983
Bryant Park is under siege. Massive catapults stand behind the hedges ready to throw rocks into the center of the park. Already many have been fired and are now scattered on the grass at the center of the park, where a mysterious wooden maze sits. Next to the catapults are tall wooden structure which look something like big windows.
What are these bizarre objects, which seem to belong more to the middle ages,than 20th century Manhattan? Tom Faulkner is the master-mind of this huge public art exhibit or "installation." By presenting a vision of primitive war weaponry, Faulkner explains, he is expressing his opposition to modern weaponry and the prospect of nuclear war.
The name of the installation is "People Who Live... " The title was taken from the old adage, "People who live in glass houses sbouldn't throw stones." The saying takes on new meaning, in today's nuclear age, Faulkner said. "Nuclear weapons are our modern stones... Either we're going to solve conflicts in a new way, or we?re going to destroy ourselves."
The installation opened on Tuesday, December 13. Attached to the maze are 100 plaques, each bearing the name of a famous battle in history. At the beginning of the maze is Marathon, which took place in 490 B.C. They progress in time up to the 1968 Tet Offensive. At the end of the maze, in its center, is the last plaque. That plaque is empty.
According to Faulkner, the tall windows represent glass houses, and the field covered with stones where Faulkner has placed his maze is perhaps both a battlefield and a syrnbol of man's history and his future.
There was surprisingly little controversy over the selection of Faulkner's project, in spite of its anti-nuclear theme. According to Faulkner, only one member of the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation (BPRC) suggested that the anti-nuclear theme of "People Who Live..." might cause problems for the organization. He was, according fo Faulkner, assured by the other members that opposition to nuclear war is "not political."
The Bryant Park Artists in Residence Program, which sponsors Faulkner, has been in existence since 1980. Funded by the BPRC and administered by the Public Art Fund, the program literally brings artists and the public face to face. "Many of the people who come to the park, I think, have never been to a museum," explained Lorna Nowve, the Associate Director of the BPRC. "They come into immediate contact with art here. They can see the creative process."
Tom Faulkner agrees. "They get an understanding of art. People are often angry at things they don't understand. Once they understand and feel comfortable with the piece, they can start to dialogue with that," he said. Faulkner proudly recalls many converts. Even some of the drug dealers in the park, who at first thought he was a plainclothes policeman, began to appreciate it.
Still, the BPRC hopes that the Artists in Residence Program will help drive the dealers out of the park. Through other programs, like the noon-time concerts, book stalls and cafe in warm weather, they have met with some success. During the winter, fewer people use the park, and the dealers take over again. The hope is that "People Who Live..." will attract more of a crowd. "Let's face it," says Nowve, "right now it's sort of a forbidden zone."
Faulkner was one of two artists chosen from 70 applicants for the program. The inspiration for the installation, he says, came to him in his sleep. One morning last December, he sat up in his bed and realized what he wanted to do. He has been working on the project ever since. In designing the installation, Faulkner has tried to fit it into the park environment as much as possible. The last piece of the installation—the maze, for example, was installed at the beginning of December when it became too cold for kids to play football on the grass.
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