Client: Banana Republic

Completion date: 2013

Artwork budget: $225,000

Project Team

Art Consultant

Jayne H. Baum

JHB Galleries Inc.

Art Consultant

Gary Hulton

JHB Galleries Inc.

Client

Pamela Durand

Banana Republic

Artist

Susan Wides

Industry Resource

Bob Kapoor

Duggal Visual Solutions

Industry Resource

Glenn Rabbach

Duggal Visual Solutions

Overview

The permanent installation, titled “I, Mannahatta (From Rock)’, July 2013, taken by artist, Susan Wides, at the Top of the Rock, capturing the city from an iconic 360-degree vista at twilight. Nine custom panels, illuminated on customized daylight LED displays, span twenty-three feet long and six feet high, showcasing a breathtaking frieze of photography that can be seen from every angle in the store. Wides’ black and white cityscape spans across one horizon line that stretches north, east, south and west, displayed on a sixty-two by twenty-six foot rotunda located prominently in the center of the store.

Goals

Global President of Banana Republic, Jack Calhoun describes the installation at Banana Republic's flagship New York store as it "reflects the best expression of Banana Republic’s authentic approach to localizing our store experience by celebrating both the cities and communities where we’re located” Banana Republic looked to Jayne H. Baum/JHB Galleries for their commission of the New York artist Susan Wides to compliment the historic, art deco design of the store’s building and space. Regionalist decisions based in and engendered by the creative spirit of New York involved the local manufacture of daylight LED systems built in Brooklyn's Navy Yard as well as specialized textile graphics, fabricated by Duggall Visual Solutions.

Process

The confluence of corporate brand identity, artistic vision, state of the art technological execution and the inimitable view of New York City from the Top of the Rock at twighlight's magic hour begins with Banana Republic's confidence and history of collaboration in the advisory and artistic direction of Jayne H. Baum/JHB Galleries. Every aspect of the project was conducive to the elements of the city, and were engaged accordingly from Wides' initial photo-shoot on the Top of the Rock to the opening celebration of the reinvented flagship location. In collaboration with Banana Republic, this project is rooted in creating what Susan Wides describes as "the experience not merely of being in a place, but of connecting to that place on many levels", a subtle request to consider and appreciate our sense of place. For all teams involved, Wides' statement describes the refined dynamic with which people, history, and their combined efforts inspire.