Grand Central Madison is a new wing of Grand Central that opened in 2023 after extended delays. From a practical perspective, it extends Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to Grand Central, which has been in the making for many years. From an artistic perspective, Grand Central Madison offers a treasure trove of art that has been thoughtfully curated and installed at Grand Central Madison. Among all the installations, one of my favorites is featuring Da Gold Man, a character from Times Square, titled Still Life by Paul Pfeiffer.
I actually found my way to the depths of Grand Central the evening Grand Central Madison opened to the public, and it was both special and eerie to be one of very few people in this massive space that is filled with art anywhere you look. Still Life was special to me as it is set in Times Square, which I cross often, and I actually bumped into Da Gold Man and had a great conversation with him on one of my walks through Times Square.
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Still Life by Paul Pfeiffer at Grand Central Madison
Da Gold Man is always completely covered in gold, and his routine is to stand completely still in Times Square, moving only when he is tipped by passers by as a sign of appreciation. The Still Life exhibit consists of 10 photographs that are larger than life, with most on a plain white background that is far removed from the bright lights of Times Square that usually surround him.
Here he is the star of the show in Still Life standing completely still on digital light boxes in the Cultural Corridor at Grand Central Madison –
Da Gold Man in Times Square
I have actually had the opportunity to have a conversation with Da Gold Man wrapping up for the evening one day, so he was not frozen in place as he usually is every time I have seen him. So, for the first time ever, I actually went up to confirm if he was the person featured in Still Life. As luck would have it, he is, and we proceeded to have an unexpectedly nice conversation, at the end of which he was happy to pose for a picture.
He introduced himself as Travis Da Gold Man Hartfield, and I learnt that he’s actually put his kids through college thanks to this character he has played in Times Square for the last seventeen years. He shot for Still Life last summer, long before Grand Central Madison opened, and was really happy with being compensated really well for it! So – drum rolls please – here is my version of Still Life –
I guess I tipped really well given the dance I got for my tip!
Still Life Promotions
What is really nice to see is that the public art in Grand Central Madison is being promoted all over subway stations that have digital screens, and I keep bumping into Still Life and Da Gold Man everywhere I go –
Yes, I do know there is a pair of shoes visible below the digital billboard above. Thought it was very clever to frame the picture that way, even though I say so myself.
