collection #3

I recently took a weekend trip to NYC for a Yankees game. We stayed in Rockefeller Center, so I did a bit of research and learned some interesting things about the place. There are 19 buildings throughout the center and occupies 22 acres in midtown Manhattan. Rockefeller Center got its start in 1928, when John D. Rockefeller, Jr., leased the space from Columbia University. While he had originally planned to build the complex with the help of the Metropolitan Opera, Rockefeller was forced to finance the project himself after the stock market crash of 1929. At the time of construction, the complex was the largest private building project of modern times.
Rockefeller was committed to making the center contemporary and innovated by incorporating artworks and attractions.
Prometheus is said to be the best known sculpture in Rockefeller Center and the most photographed sculpture in all of NYC.
The red granite wall behind the statue has a quotation from Aeschylus, "Prometheus, teacher in every art, brought the fire to earth that hath proven to mortals a means to mighty ends." In Greek mythology, Prometheus stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mankind. Zeus was so mad he not only took fire back from humans, but also took "means of life." Had Prometheus not provoked Zeus's wrath, "you would easily do work enough in a day to supply you for a full year even without working." Prometheus has become a general symbol for socialism and communism.



During the summer he looks over an outdoor cafe, that is transformed into a skating rink in the wintertime.
I found the story behind this figure pretty remarkable. Why is this bustling area in the center of the busiest city in the country scattered with Greek mythological figures? The theme of these figures is enlightenment and godly knowledge.
I came across a website called The Vigilant Citizen that aims to go beyond the face value of symbols found in pop culture to reveal their esoteric meaning.
 http://vigilantcitizen.com/sinistersites/sinister-sites-rockefeller-center/