One of the best known parks of New York City’s 1,900 public parks, Washington Square Park is a landmark of New York University and it is a cultural hub of the city. The park is like a microcosm of life pre-Covid. Even during the pandemic, people remain very active in the Black Lives Matter Movement, selling their arts, and playing music.
Observing the park from ground level can be interesting, but more so from a higher perspective as can be seen here from these photographs made from NYU’s Kimmel Center Center for University Life. This project sees the park and the life there from unique perspectives. For example, when I noticed an artist, or security team, or pianist in the view above, I would go down to photograph them from below or it could happen in the reverse way. From the eighth and tenth floor, viewers can also see the Empire State Building from afar. Another landmark of the city and once the world’s tallest building for nearly four decades, the tower displays some of its 16 million plus colors for important occasions, holidays, and organizations.
A Black Trans Lives Matter memorial takes place at Washington Square Park on the evening of Nov 20, 2020, shot from Kimmel Center. Photo by Chuyan Jiang
A Black Trans Lives Matter memorial takes place at Washington Square Park from the ground-level perspective, Nov 20, 2020, Photo by Chuyan Jiang
A Black Trans Lives Matter memorial takes place at Washington Square Park from the ground-level perspective, Nov 20, 2020, Photo by Chuyan Jiang
A group of pigeons at Washington Square Park from the Kimmel Center perspective, Nov 25, 2020. Photo by Chuyan Jiang
A group of pigeons at Washington Square Park from the ground level perspective, Nov 25, 2020. Photo by Chuyan Jiang
A group of pigeons at Washington Square Park from the ground level perspective, Nov 25, 2020. Photo by Chuyan Jiang
Artist and NYC park enforcement officers at Washington Square Park captured from the view of Kimmel Center, Nov 25, 2020. Photo by Chuyan Jiang
Park enforcement officers at NYC patrol at Washington Square Park as seen on the ground, Nov 25, 2020. Photo by Chuyan Jiang
Johnnie Grinder sells artwork at Washington Square Park as seen on the ground, Nov 25, 2020. Photo by Chuyan Jiang
A person plays the piano in the park from the Kimmel Center perspective. On the piano it says “this machine kills fascists”. Dec 3, 2020, Photo by Chuyan Jiang
A person plays the piano in the park from the ground level perspective. On the piano it says “this machine kills fascists”. Dec 3, 2020, Photo by Chuyan Jiang
A person plays the piano in the park from the ground level perspective. On the piano it says “this machine kills fascists”. Dec 3, 2020, Photo by Chuyan Jiang
Washington Square Arch around sunset on a misty day from Kimmel Center, Nov 30, 2020. Photo by Chuyan Jiang
