Parting Shot

Really big bugs. Credit: Mark Markin/Paul Kasmin Gallery

A beetle the size of a small dog took up residence last winter on one of Manhattan’s most exclusive streets. No exterminators were needed, though, since the six-legged fellow was made out of brass and part of “The Roses,” an installation by artist Will Ryman. Thirty-eight sculptures, some reaching 25 feet high, turned Park Avenue into a garden of whimsy. Each rose was fabricated from fiberglass resin and stainless steel, with brass aphids, bees, ladybugs, spiders and beetles peering out from their petals. In addition, 20 giant scattered rose petals festooned the Park Avenue Mall. In case you missed it, Ryman’s installations are traveling to new winter venues. One set is growing on the lawn of The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., through Jan. 5. In Miami, “Desublimation of the Rose” showcases Ryman’s tallest flowers yet at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden through May 31. To see more images of Ryman’s roses, check out the Paul Kasmin Gallery website at http://www.paulkasmingallery.com.