As part of the ongoing transformation of 8th Avenue and the 42nd Street area, a newwork of public art by New York artist Tattfoo Tan was unveiled today in Midtown Manhattan through a partnership between the Fashion Center Business Improvement District and the Times Square Alliance.

The giant grid of color, inspired by fresh fruits and vegetables, is one of largest public art projects ever at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, which is locatedin the Fashion District. Through the “NMS - Nature Matching System”, the thousands of daily visitors can visually learn the colors that contribute to a healthy lifestyle. The vinyl mural is 13 ft high and 180 ft wide and will run in the street-level windows on 8th Avenue between 41st and 42nd Streets and along 42nd Street.

“Community projects like this are a welcome addition to the Port Authority Bus Terminal and another example of our continued commitment to our neighbors,” said Steve Napolitano, Bus Terminal Manager for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. “This impressive work of art will help to further integrate the Port Authority Bus Terminal into the boldly-colored and brightly-lit environment of New York City.”

The “Nature Matching System” project on the bus terminal boldly reminds New Yorkers “to take your daily dose of color.”  Tattfoo Tan precisely matched the healthy colors of 88 fresh fruits and vegetables through Photoshop software into a Pantone or paint chip display system. He wrote: “The shades of color displayed at farmers’ markets are more than skin deep, reflecting the inner potential of every fruit and vegetable; intense colors might even be called nature’s nutrition labels.”

 “This latest public art project is another example of the continued Renaissance of the 8th Avenue corridor,” said Barbara Randall, Executive Director of the Fashion Center BID. “The addition of a work by such a respected artist, further serves to enhance the pedestrian experience and the cultural value of the Fashion Center and Times Square areas.”

“8th Avenue is already emerging as an Avenue of Architecture, and thanks to projects like this one at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, it’s also starting to stake a claim as an Avenue of Art,” said Times Square Alliance President Tim Tompkins. “This is a great example of the ways in which the creative energy of both Times Square and the Fashion District is making its mark on Eighth Avenue.”

About the Artist
Tattfoo Tan seeks immediate and effective ways to collapse the categories of ‘art’ and ‘life’ into one. The objects of public spaces, that typically go unnoticed, are revived with a new life and meaning. Last fall in downtown Manhattan, the concrete barricades came alive with orange zebra stripes. At the Queens Museum of Art, vending machines became systems for people to exchange their prayers.

About the Fashion Center
The Fashion Center Business Improvement District (www.fashioncenter.com), a not-for-profit corporation, was established in 1993 to improve the quality of life and economic vitality of Manhattan’s Fashion District. Through programs in the areas of streetscape improvements, sanitation and public safety services, marketing and promotions, economic development, and community service, efforts are aimed at promoting the district as a strategic midtown business location and ensuring New York's position as the fashion capital of the world.

About the Times Square Alliance
The Times Square Alliance, founded in 1992, works to improve and promote Times Square - cultivating the creativity, energy and edge that have made the area an icon of entertainment, culture and urban life for over a century. In addition to providing core neighborhood services with its Public Safety Officers and Sanitation Associates, the Alliance promotes local businesses; encourages economic development and public improvements; co-coordinates numerous major events in Times Square (including the annual New Year's Eve and Broadway on Broadway celebrations); manages the Times Square Information Center; and advocates on behalf of its constituents with respect to a host of public policy, planning and quality-of-life issues.

The installation is brought to you with support from the Fashion Center BID, Times Square Alliance, and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. Artist Tattfoo Tan, © 2008. Mural printing by ColorEdge Visual.