One Chase Manhattan Plaza in Lower Manhattan stands as a testament to architectural vision, where the firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) extended their design philosophy beyond the building’s facade and interiors to even the smallest desk accessory. Crucially, Chase Manhattan Bank also entrusted SOM with curating a comprehensive art program, not just for this headquarters but for other Chase buildings as well. This initiative led to the formation of the Chase Manhattan Bank art committee in 1959.
This esteemed committee included notable figures such as Gordon Bunshaft, SOM’s lead designer for the headquarters; David Rockefeller, then-president of the bank; Alfred Barr, the founding director of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA); and Dorothy Miller, a senior curator at MoMA. Their ambitious goal was to assemble a groundbreaking corporate art collection. They acquired thousands of pieces, with a particular emphasis on emerging artists, Americana, indigenous art, and photography. However, the committee’s initial and perhaps most significant challenge was selecting the ideal sculpture to grace the expansive public plaza of the downtown Chase Manhattan Bank headquarters in New York City.
Wolfgang Hoyt | Esto
While Isamu Noguchi’s serene pool with weathered granite, cobblestones, and water jets was chosen relatively quickly, the selection of a second sculptural piece proved to be a decade-long endeavor. The committee invited submissions from six prominent sculptors: Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Dimitri Hadzi, Henry Moore, Noguchi himself, and William Zorach. Despite these submissions from artistic giants, none were initially deemed suitable. It was during this period of deliberation that Bunshaft, a known admirer of Jean Dubuffet, encountered an exhibition of the artist’s large sculptures during a trip to Paris.
Upon his return to New York, Bunshaft proposed Dubuffet’s work to the art committee for consideration. The committee approved, and Bunshaft requested multiple concepts from Dubuffet, eventually selecting five to be sent to New York. Serendipitously, David Rockefeller, on a separate visit to Dubuffet’s studio, discovered another piece and requested its inclusion in the selection process. This piece received unanimous approval from the committee. To realize the chosen sculpture, SOM enlisted consulting engineer Paul Weidlinger to collaborate with Dubuffet in Paris. Weidlinger’s role was crucial in developing the structural framework for the colossal, 42-foot-high sculpture made of epoxy and fiberglass and to oversee its careful disassembly for shipment to New York for installation at Chase Manhattan Bank.
Jan Jachniewicz | JP Morgan Chase Archives
“Group of Four Trees,” as it was officially titled, was finally installed in 1972 at Chase Manhattan Plaza. Painted in stark black and white, its distinctive, twisting forms are unmistakably Dubuffet’s. Reflecting on his creation during a site visit, Dubuffet famously told the New York Times, “I hope it will cause people to think all kinds of extravagant, mad and uncanny thoughts.” This bold artwork became a defining feature of the Chase Manhattan Bank headquarters, and indeed, of the Lower Manhattan landscape, sparking both contemplation and conversation for decades to come.
© Ezra Stoller | Esto
Arthur Lavine | JP Morgan Chase Archives
