Rocket Thrower
Encyclopedia
The Rocket Thrower is a bronze sculpture
located in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
in Queens
New York City
.
It was created by Donald De Lue
for the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair
.
) are three distinct stars arranged in an angled line across its short width.
art critic John Canaday
described it as “the most lamentable monster, making Walt Disney look like Leonardo Da Vinci.”
Over time the statue has been affected by corrosion and the structural integrity has diminished. One arm was repaired in 1989.
Bronze sculpture
Bronze is the most popular metal for cast metal sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply a "bronze".Common bronze alloys have the unusual and desirable property of expanding slightly just before they set, thus filling the finest details of a mold. Then, as the bronze cools, it...
located in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, often referred to as Flushing Meadow Park, Flushing Meadows Park or Flushing Meadows, is a public park in New York City. It contains the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the current venue for the U.S...
in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
It was created by Donald De Lue
Donald De Lue
Donald Harcourt De Lue was an American sculptor known for several prominent public monuments.-Biography:...
for the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair
1964 New York World's Fair
The 1964/1965 New York World's Fair was the third major world's fair to be held in New York City. Hailing itself as a "universal and international" exposition, the fair's theme was "Peace Through Understanding," dedicated to "Man's Achievement on a Shrinking Globe in an Expanding Universe";...
.
Commissioning
De Lue was among a total of five sculptors who would create pieces for the fairground. He was contracted in 1962 for the amount of $105,000 with a deadline for completion of under six months. De Lue Completed a full plaster model in 1963 at which time it was sent to Italy to be cast.Design
The Rocket Thrower stands 43 feet high and depicts an athletic and god-like man launching, with his right hand, a small sphere into the sky which leaves an arcing trail of flames behind. His left hand is raised skyward and emits a swirl of stars which enchant the path of the rocket. The Rocket Thrower's left leg strains and crouches with his left foot planted on an arched perch. His right leg extends out fluidly. On the front of the perch (facing the UnisphereUnisphere
The Unisphere is a 12-story high, spherical stainless steel representation of the Earth. Located in Flushing Meadows – Corona Park in the borough of Queens, New York City, the Unisphere is one of the borough's most iconic and enduring symbols....
) are three distinct stars arranged in an angled line across its short width.
Reception
When released, the critics of the time had mixed reviews of the work. De Lue explained the work as “the spiritual concept of man’s relationship to space and his venturesome spirit backed up by all the powers of his intelligence for the exploration of a new dimension.” However, The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
art critic John Canaday
John Canaday
John Edwin Canaday was a leading American art critic, author and art historian.-Early life:...
described it as “the most lamentable monster, making Walt Disney look like Leonardo Da Vinci.”
Over time the statue has been affected by corrosion and the structural integrity has diminished. One arm was repaired in 1989.