© Sam Durant
Untitled (drone), 2016-2021 (rendering)
Proposal for the High Line Plinth. Commissioned by High Line Art.

There is no real way to define what art is. The closest definition would be a way of expressing creativity and imagination that is subjective to the creator and audience. For some, art comes from the classical visual branches of painting, sculpture, architecture, or photography. For others, art can be found in music, film, dance, the list could go on and on. For Sam Durant, art is a way of engaging social, political, and cultural issues through multimedia formats. One of Sam’s most recent works, a giant drone in New York City, is gathering a lot of attention.

Sam was born in 1961 in Seattle, Washington. He fondly remembers his mother bringing him in his stroller to anti-war rallies that would influence how he perceives the world around him as an adult. He understands that war is often inevitable, but feels it is safe to say that there never has been a just war. After receiving an FBA from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 1986, Sam relocated to Berlin. His work can be found in London’s Tate Modern, The Art Gallery of Western Australia, New York’s Museum of Modern Art, and more. He was commissioned to do an installment this past spring in Manhattan’s High Line.

The High Line is a 1.45 mile long elevated park that was opened in 2009. Before becoming a green space filled with gardens, sculptures, and food and drink vendors, the High Line was a spur of the Manhattan railway. Located on the High Line Spur at 30th St. and 10th Ave. is Sam’s sculpture called Untitled (drone). The sculpture is a white fiberglass drone modeled after the US military Predator drone. The drone sits atop a 25ft tall white steel pole. As the wind blows, the drone slowly rotates, acting as a weather vane. There are no markings, cameras, or landing gear on the drone, just empty space.

As Sam explains, the reason for leaving the drone completely blank, as well as not giving it a formal title, is because he wants viewers to create their own interpretations of what a drone in an urban setting should be. While the Predator drone has become a recognizable image for many adults living in the United States, few have ever seen one in person. Sam wants people to question how drones are used to surveil people, how they are used to subdue enemies, and even how they are used to help people.

Sam says he was inspired to create Untitled (drone) because of other projects he was working on. “It was really something to think about in terms of the issue of art and war,” Sam said. “In the United States, most of the wars and conflicts that we’re involved in are far away from our country. So, the drones seem to be a symbol of things being done in other places far away.” He feels that people living far away from conflict need to stop and think about what is going on, questioning the world. This is why Untitled (drone) is not an abstract sculpture, but a representation of an actual drone. “One of the key concepts in Untitled (drone),” Sam said, “is this idea of making visible what’s normally invisible.”

Drones have become such common tools in today’s world. For the most part, drones are used to help people, something that Sam is very appreciative of. If you asked someone to describe a drone 10-15 years ago, they would most likely describe a military drone. Today, people are more likely to describe a small multi rotor drone that is used to capture images or deliver small packages. And while Sam does not want to distract people from recognizing the many benefits of drone technology, he hopes that they will see his sculpture and stop and think about how drones are used in warfare as well. “Well,” Sam said, “I hope that Untitled (drone) will bring up these issues and questions around remote warfare, unmanned drone warfare, consequences of war, and bring up the question of how we want to think about that in the future.” Untitled (drone) will remain on display until August 2022.