The Chetrit Group's purchase and plans to convert the Sony Building at New York City's 550 Madison Avenue into a condominium might just result in the loss of two iconic murals by Dorothea Rockburne hanging in the building's current lobby.
Well-known abstract painter Dorothea Rockburne created two murals - "Northern Sky" and "Southern Sky" - more than two years ago. The murals took two years to plan and complete after they were commissioned by then head of Sony, Michael Schulhof.
"He understood the mathematics of my work," Rockburne said of Schulhof, who is also a former physicist. As it turns out, the murals Rockburne had created were based on chaos theory.
However, new reports claim that since the Chetrit Group's $1.1 billion purchase of the building back in 2013, the fate of the murals - which were part of the sale - remain unknown.
"I'm heartbroken, absolutely heartbroken about it," Rockburne told the New York Post at her Soho home for the past 40 years. "It is a very major work."
Rockburne is looking for other ways to preserve the murals - which she had created with a specially trained crew. Curbed reports:
"Rockburne told the Post that she has been trying to get in touch with the developers for the past two years, but to no avail, and that she'd rather see the paintings be donated to a museum than destroyed or put away."
Although no assurances have been made, developer Joseph Chetrit's son, Jonathan, also told the Post that the real estate group has been in contact with Rockburne and were looking into possible options for the paintings.
Rockburne, on the other hand, denies Chetrit's claims. "He's bulls-ting you," Rockburne said. "I've been trying to contact him for two years."
With Chetrit's takeover of the Sony Building, Midtown goers will soon see the construction of 96 condo units beginning on the 14th floor up to the 36th floor. There will be retail spaces available in the lower levels as well.
