NEW YORK, N.Y..- New York City artist, Cynthia Karalla, is being featured at a luxury condominium project on the Upper East Side, 1289 Lexington. Never represented by an art dealer, Karalla, who is in her 60s and also spends time in Newburgh, created 17 unique shots of Manhattan scenes. Each of the images will be hung on a wall that residents will see as they exit the elevator on each floor.

A longstanding celebrated NYC artist, Karalla’s work has been featured in MOMA, Cooper-Hewitt Museum, and the New York Public Library. Her newest work, featured inside 1289 Lexington, focused on reimagining iconic NYC landmarks. The pieces seek to merge Zeckendorf Development’s style of classic prewar details with the latest methods of new construction.

Karalla started the project by shooting scenes in Central Park using a D850 camera and 135 mm Zeiss lens. Shots include the reservoir, Loeb Boathouse, Belvedere Castle, gardens, and the Metropolitan Museum. Usually the artist shoots in film, as her work is best known for her ability to showcase negatives that appear as positives. Her goal is to shift the perception of the things that happen in life.




For this project, however, she used digital. First shooting in color and then transferring the image to black and white, she added bold hues in purple, orange, and pink which can be seen on the artist’s website.

Although members of the Zeckendorf family are art collectors and have frequently purchased pieces to feature in their buildings, this is the first-time new art has been commissioned.

Karalla’s work is best known for being eclectic and having a range of diverse theme. Examples include political pieces like the giant flowers made from copies of the Mueller report, close-ups of colored poppies shot in southern Italy, and bleached black and white landscapes.

Two weeks ago, Artie Zeckendorf, the developer of 1289 Lexington, hosted an intimate gathering that was attended by industry veterans and notables in the art and real estate communities. Seven rooms were set up, each with a different project of Karalla’s work. It was Zeckendorf’s way of bringing greater attention to Karalla’s work and help her sell additional works of her art.