Rockefeller Center needs no introduction from me, but its collection of original public art might.

Along with Paul Manship's iconic Prometheus, golden backdrop to the ice-skating rink and said to be the fourth-most recognizable sculpture in the United States, Rockefeller Center contains a treasured collection of public sculpture and art from more than 20 artists, dating from the 1930s, strategically placed in the "greatest urban complex of the 20th Century" to complement the architectural experience, the rhythm, the excitement, the inspiration and the sophistication of midtown Manhattan.

Except... not really.

The collection is large and spectacularly strange. As to 'treasured' and 'sophistication' -- well, the aesthetic quality of the work varies considerably, from very good to hypnotically bad. As to 'strategically placed,' that's true, if you stretch that to include 'hidden away'. Some of the allegorical references defy explanation, some of it's sinister and puzzling, Manship didn't want to talk about how Prometheus turned out, and the most famous mural at Rockefeller Center is the one that Diego Rivera was not allowed to finish.

If you get a sneaking suspicion that there's something not being said, you're absolutely right.

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