(Photo by Brian Donohue)
The ironworkers in Sergio Furnari‘s sculptural interpretation of a the famous 1932 ‘Lunch Atop a Skyscraper” photograph on the roof the Detour Gallery have seemed to be watching their modern-day roofer counterparts on the adjacent Azalea Red Bank complex in recent days.
The sculpture was installed nine years ago, as covered in redbankgreen.
Not limited to just photography and sculpture, those guys eating lunch on the beam get their due in film, too.
“Men at Lunch” an acclaimed (and quite excellent) 2012 documentary about the men photographed 900 feet above Rockefeller Center is available on the streaming service Kanopy. The service is free with your Red Bank Public Library card, a totally cool little value bonus for your tax dollars.
The documentary includes a scene in which Furnari drives through the streets of New York City with a copy of his sculpture atop a flatbed truck. Tourists by the dozen are seen eagerly taking photographs of the sculpture as Furnari drives by. It’s a reminder how cool it is to have it sitting here in our town where many pass by every day without paying it any notice.
The documentary’s examination of the lives of the immigrant workers in the photo also lend parallels to the scene here in Red Bank, as another generation of immigrant workers seek a foothold through hard, disproportionately dangerous, work. (The safety harnesses and tethers on today’s workers are a solid sign of progress, that’s for sure.)
Construction on the the 14-unit Azalea Red Bank began last July and appears on its way to completion.
