Like a cataract of sensuous gilded Wallendas, the “Dreams of Hyperion” figures at 24 Bond Street cascade down the NoHo building. Once owned by Robert DeNiro’s mother and later the home of Robert Mapplethorpe, 24 Bond Street now hosts the thriving Off-Broadway Gene Frankel Theatre on the ground floor where it sits waiting, perhaps, to catch any wayward golden dancers.
The sculpture was created by artist Bruce Williams between 2003 and 2010 for the building where he and his wife live, but in the typical free spirit fashion of the neighborhood, Williams did not ask permission for his installation. Fortunately, following an abbreviated kerfuffle, his work was allowed to remain. It has since become an essential element of this landmark building.
The glittering, sybaritic ornamentation is a fitting beacon for a building that has harbored so many innovative actors, artists, and musicians. In the 1960s, Sam Rivers turned his loft here into Studio Rivbea—a haven for avant-garde jazz performance that paved the way for New York’s DIY music scene. In the 1970s, Mapplethorpe took up residence on the 5th floor.
Shortly after Mapplethorpe’s death in 1989, Gene Frankel moved his theater onto the first floor where contemporary playwrights have flourished ever since. As a teacher and director, Frankel worked with renowned performers like Walter Matthau and Raul Julia and helped launch the careers of such greats as James Earl Jones and Cicely Tyson. Today, the theater is a notable supporter of LGBTQ+ works.
Appropriately, the name “Hyperion” means “he who looks down from above,” and Williams’ figures do just that, like Sirens beckoning to passersby below to come closer and discover the tantalizing thrills of 24 Bond Street.
