The multidisciplinary artist Oliver Jeffers has filled the public spaces of Rockefeller Center for the holiday season with a series of artworks installed across the campus. Jeffers was commissioned by the Art Production Fund and Tishman Speyer for the last installation in the 2020 Art in Focus program, which takes the form of a series of festive, large-scale vinyl murals.
“Rockefeller Center is New York City’s quintessential holiday destination, and we present a number of traditions that New Yorkers and visitors come back to experience year after year, from skating at the rink and the Saks Fifth Avenue lighting display to the famed Rockefeller Center Christmas tree,” said EB Kelly, Tishman Speyer Managing Director Overseeing Rockefeller Center. “In addition to the annual staples, we strive to make each holiday season unique and create new traditions, and Oliver Jeffers’ incredible work is the perfect addition to this year’s festivities.”
Oliver Jeffers for Art in Focus, photo by Emma Rose Milligan, courtesy of Art Production Fund.
Accompanied by a map made by Jeffers, the artist’s cheery works are imbued with a sense of childlike wonder, featuring scenes typically associated with winter in New York City—like the iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, zooming yellow taxi cabs, and the Atlas sculpture—which include elements like found paper and pencil drawings that give a nostalgic, homemade feel. Visitors can follow the free map to find the locations of each mural throughout the center (including 13 murals placed in and outside), denoted with illustrated icons of the artworks.
Oliver Jeffers for Art in Focus, photo by Emma Rose Milligan, courtesy of Art Production Fund.
“I’ve been making my own maps for some time—cartography is an early love of mine, as I’m fascinated to know where I am in relation to other things. More recently, these have been political or conceptual, so I’m excited to put together a more jubilant one for a favorite place of mine, my home, New York. No matter how crazy the world, the holidays will always be a season of festivities with our friends and family, eating too much food, and watching that Rockefeller Center Tree light up,” said Jeffers.
Oliver Jeffers for Art in Focus, photo by Emma Rose Milligan, courtesy of Art Production Fund.
