OY/YO Sculpture Returns to Brooklyn Waterfront

Rob Grams • July 17, 2017

Deborah Kass’s, eight-foot sculpture OY/YO, was unveiled on in North Fifth Street Pier Park returning to the Brooklyn riverfront for the second time, after being taken down in August 2016.What is the most “New York” piece of public art in the city? Many would make the case that it’s the 8-foot sculpture of your two most used words in NYC. YO! and OY! Too on the nose? …well it COULD say “Eyyy, I’m walking here!” so count your blessings.

The sculpture was commissioned by Two Trees Management Company. Debora Kass, the Brooklyn artist that created the piece, developed the idea for the OY/YO (2015) sculpture drawing inspiration from Picasso’s “Yo Picasso” and Edward Ruscha’s “OOF”. The piece tips a hat to both Yiddish and Latino cultures; the Spanish phrase for “I am” and the Yiddish expression “oy vey.”

The bright yellow sculpture is made of painted aluminum and measures 8 feet by 17 feet by 5 feet and is certainly striking, that could be why it was so loved by the community. The piece originally went up in December 2015, before, much to the dismay of park patrons, it came down again in August of 2016.

The bright yellow sculpture is definitely going to brighten up Kent Avenue.

Hey OY!Hey YO! #language#latino#yiddish#deborahkass#OYYO#sculpture#northfifthstreetpier#park#williamsburg#brooklyn#nyc#thisisart

A post shared by Carmen Wong???? (@armowong) on Jul 16, 2017 at 7:26pm PDT

YO!

A post shared by M. Ryan Murphy (@nytryan) on Jul 15, 2017 at 5:54pm PDT

welcome 2 wburg OYYO! #artintheparks #artforall

A post shared by Mae-z ? (@monster_mama) on Jul 14, 2017 at 6:54am PDT

Featured image source [Instagtam | @armowong]