© Sam H. Shirakawa, 2015
HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL, Harriet Feigenbaum 1990
Madison Square Park, Madison Avenue @ 25 Street New York City
My interpretation of this grim work probably runs counter to the artist's intention, for it presents the inconspicuous but stark marble half-column in bold relief. If you pass by the west side of the Apellate Division Court House, you might hardly notice the slender six-sided 27 foot pillar that all but dissolves into the façade. But a closer look reveals chisled flames encircling the column. The bas relief at its base shows an aerial view of the death camp at Auschwitz in 1944, based on a photograph taken from an Allied military plane. The broad windows along the wall offer a handsome view of Madieson Square Park across the street but are blind to the chilling monument at their side.
