Maspeth High School (PS 585) Queens, New York
Percent for Art finalist proposal
12' x 12' x 3' (large Maspeth sphinx)
9' x 9' x 2'3" (small Australia sphinx)

‘The Sphinx and the Riddle’ consists of an inverted ‘L’ along a North-South axis at PS 585 in Queens, New York, one tip of which is shaped into a face of a sphinx. Three monitors comprising the face respectively blink at paces determined by ancient Greek meters: heroic hexameter (bottom); iambic trimeter (middle); and anapestic dimeter (top). The bottom screen features images tracing a meandering path around the globe; the middle the latitudes and longitudes of world cities; and the top alternates between red and green. ‘The Sphinx and the Riddle’ was created for and proposed to Percent for Art, and approaches high school as a hurdle that, once passed, opens up paths and possibilities.

A companion sphinx is located at Maspeth, Queens’ geographical antipode: Deepsdene, Australia. Unlike the main sphinx, which is made of slatted cedar, the smaller sphinx is solid wood and has ‘Maspeth, Queens’ carved on its cocked face.