Natasha Johns-Messenger, ALTERVIEW, 2013, tinted glass and stainless steel, Hunter's Point Campus, Queens

ALTERVIEW is a visual experience unlike any other. Located within the fencing of the 5^th floor terrace, it faces the magnificent Manhattan skyline across the East River. Artist Natasha Johns-Messenger created ALTERVIEW specifically in response to this view and made it the focal point for her artwork. Measuring 16’ long and 8’ high, it is comprised of laminated orange glass with a 4’ clear circle slightly off center. The rectangular shape with its round “cutout” resembles a camera whose lens offers the sole unobstructed viewing space along the fence. It is a type of mega viewfinder drawing your eye first to the orange, and then into the clear area and the cityscape captured within it. The color orange relates to the building’s architectural details and is the compliment to the blue that dominates behind and in front of the city buildings. The blue of the sky and water form a dynamic contrast against the orange, intensifying what is seen in both. The orange color also heightens the vibrancy of the shadows cast by the piece as the sun moves throughout the day. An every-changing experience, ALTERVIEW uses the extraordinary scenery at its core to consider the meanings of perspective and perception, and what seeing really is.