Arts for Transit and Urban Design

Queens Plaza

Ellen Harvey

Look Up, Not Down, 2005

Glass mosaics on mezzanine walls

In Look Up, Not Down, Ellen Harvey asks riders to pretend that they are gazing skyward at the view that exists above the station. Her series of mosaic murals depict the sky on a sunny day, with the skyline forming a thin frame at the bottom of each mosaic, and represents the actual cityscape at the time it was created. The work guides travelers to the surrounding streets at this busy transportation hub. The piece celebrates the romance of the skyline as seen from Queens, imagined as the center of the city. At a time when the New York City skyline may be associated with loss, Look Up, Not Down shows the skyline as an image of hope and beauty. The sun marks the former location of the World Trade Center. In years to come, as the city continues to reinvent itself, the mosaics will serve as a view of a past moment in time.