With a Beam of Light, the New York City AIDS Memorial Honors the Nearly Forgotten Legacy of This Great American Sculptor

Article excerpt

A new AIDS memorial in New York City draws inspiration from sculptor Scott Burton's late work, a series of benches and lights installed on Brooklyn piers that offered solace in public spaces. Burton, who died of AIDS-related illness in 1989, created art designed to comfort urban dwellers, yet his legacy has faded from public consciousness. The memorial uses his signature approach of combining functional design with poetic gesture, employing a beam of light to honor those lost to the pandemic while resurrecting the work of an artist whose contributions to American sculpture have been largely eclipsed by time.