What Pat Moynihan Said About That
Project Vision
This memorial exhibition on legendary outspoken New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan was mounted by Moynihan’s friends and colleagues, as a personal tribute to his life through words and pictures. A gifted writer and politician, Moynihan was well known for his pithy commentary and passionate correspondence, typed out on his trusty Smith-Corona typewriter.
The gallery features large black and white photos of the Senator and quotes from him about the public works projects that he championed in New York, including Foley Square and the redevelopment of Penn Station. Moynihan had an abiding interest in architecture and preservation, and design is integrated into the gallery in a way that shows off its period detail. In the center of the room is a simple wooden table displaying his signature typewriter.
The show was designed as a temporary tribute space, and it was inexpensively fabricated using fabric and vinyl inkjet banners and images.
Project Details
This exhibit has tremendous WOW on a limited budget, a simple palette of materials, and in a small single room. It triumphs in its effective utilization of the grand interior architecture in this former Villard mansion, now the Municipal Art Society. The exhibit designer carries forth the message very powerfully and elegantly by engaging the large curved window openings for Moynihan's quotes, further emphasizing their placement on a vivid red background. The over-scaled photos of Moynihan have an immediacy and directness. The use of a simple wooden table to display his signature typewriter – both the messenger of his musings and the keystone artifact – is both provocative and memorable.
Design Team
Michael Gericke (Principal in Charge), Maura Mathews
Design Firm
Pentagram
Fabricators
Duggal Visual Solutions