Across New York State, urban planner Robert Moses has left his mark, from Coney Island to Niagara Falls. Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens was one exception until this summer, where a color-block mosaic portrait of Moses created by Pop artist Andy Warhol had decorated the ground for nearly thirty years.
This tiled medallion was one of eleven pieces installed within the pavements of the park’s David Dinkins Circle, commemorating the notable exhibitions that earned the “World’s Borough” its famous title. However, in June, it was announced that city workers had taken down the mosaics, citing “significant deterioration” caused by weather, according to a representative from the Department of Parks and Recreation who spoke to Hyperallergic.
“Due to numerous repair attempts with the original designer and safety concerns regarding loose tiles, we decided to remove the mosaic medallions designed in 1997,” the spokesperson elaborated.
The artwork, installed in 1998, encapsulated significant cultural moments related to the 1939 and 1964 World’s Fairs, including Salvador Dalí’s whimsical Dream of Venus pavilion, the mesmerizing Fountain of the Planets synchronized water and fireworks display, and the much-loved Elsie, Borden Dairy’s celebrity “spokescow” that delighted thousands of fans.
The mosaic of Moses, however, carries a particularly contentious narrative. While it might seem a tribute to the influential Parks Commissioner, it actually points to a notorious controversy at the 1964 World’s Fair when officials ordered the removal of Warhol’s mural, “Thirteen Most Wanted Men” (1964). This piece featured enlarged mugshots of individuals on the FBI’s most wanted list and was initially meant for the Theaterama pavilion designed by Philip Johnson, alongside works from Robert Indiana, Ellsworth Kelly, and Robert Rauschenberg.
Just before the fair opened, Governor Nelson Rockefeller reportedly called for the mural’s removal, fearing it would disturb his Italian constituents since several of the depicted individuals were of Italian descent.
In retaliation, Warhol directed his ire at Moses, the World’s Fair Corporation president, by designing a new mural that prominently featured 25 silk-screened images of Moses himself. Johnson described this act as Warhol “thumbing his nose” at the fair officials, given Moses’s status; unsurprisingly, this mural was also turned down for Johnson’s pavilion.
“Philip [Johnson] assigned me the project, but some political issue that I never grasped resulted in the officials erasing it,” Warhol recounted in his memoir POPism.
Now, the mosaic that captured this intriguing moment in art history has been replaced by a mundane stretch of pavement.
In recent years, a grassroots coalition of local residents has been pushing for the restoration of the mosaic tiles. Several pieces had already been taken down by the park’s department due to cracks that presented hazards, including the vibrant “EAT” sign by Robert Indiana, Billy Rose’s 1939 Aquacade, and a representation of Warhol’s previously censored mural.
Michael Perlman, a local preservationist from Forest Hills, has been instrumental in the community’s bid to restore these artworks, revealing to Hyperallergic that residents were not notified when the remaining five medallions were removed this summer.
“They put bland pavers in place, which we find disrespectful to our borough’s rich history and the World’s Fair legacy as well as to the heritage of mosaic art,” Perlman stated in an email.
His group has submitted a proposal to the parks department illustrating a new educational exhibition in the park aimed at featuring both the restored mosaics and reproductions of previously removed pieces. Perlman mentioned they have also engaged Manhattan-based architectural salvage company Demolition Depot for assistance in restoring these artworks.
“As these parks are public spaces, the voices of residents and advocates for preservation should carry weight,” Perlman emphasized.
