The Viewfinder sculpture is a public artwork and a free store. People are encouraged to share seeds and other gifts from the garden with the local community.
The sculpture is installed at:
Smiling Hogshead Ranch: 25-30 Skillman Avenue
Long Island City, NY 11101
Accessible 24/7 from April to October 2023. There are no gates at this garden.
“Viewfinder: Land Stewards'' aims to highlight the efforts of the Smiling Hoggshead Ranch community. A community who aims to heal our environment after a history of harm caused by colonialism and industrialization. What would this city look like if the indigenous tribes who stewarded this land had a voice in its urban development?
Cody Umans constructed the Viewfinder sculpture entirely from found, upcycled materials. He began this sculpture in 2021 and installed it in April 2023. Cody proposed installing the sculpture at Smiling Hogshead Ranch because the guerilla garden’s mission embodies the concept behind the artwork. The sculpture frames the gorgeous agriculture of the garden, cropping it within the context of the industrial area of Hunters Point. By seeing a space with the context that it can be made into art, we envision new ways to express something that otherwise could be taken for granted.
The sculpture is 6’H X 56”W X 2”L .
View of the sculpture on Skillman Avenue
The sculpture seen from inside of the garden, the Amtrack yard is across the street from the garden.
A long distance photograph of the garden and sculpture from the abandoned freight tracks in the Amtrack yard.
Detail photo of the sculpture
Detail photo of the sculpture
Detail photo of the sculpture.