Monumental Horse Sculpture for Barneys New York Dallas Flagship 2006

Commissioned for the grand opening of the Barneys New York Dallas flagship in 2006, this monumental horse sculpture is one of the most recognizable installations created for the luxury retailer's nationwide redesign under the creative direction of Simon Doonan.
As part of the launch of several new Barneys flagship locations across the United States, Doonan conceived a series of unique, site-specific sculptures fabricated from approximately one thousand custom chrome-plated steel coat hangers. Each flagship received its own distinctive installation reflecting the individuality of the location. While other cities received forms such as a ten-gallon cowboy hat or a high-heeled shoe, the Dallas store was distinguished by this monumental horse—widely considered the most ambitious and elaborate of the series.
Executed by New York artist Terence Gower, the sculpture stood prominently for years in the women's couture department overlooking the store's dramatic custom glass and patinated bronze spiral staircase designed by artist Jean Paul Philippe. Measuring on a truly architectural scale, the work transformed an everyday retail object into a striking sculptural landmark that became synonymous with the Dallas Barneys experience.
Constructed from approximately 1,000 heavy-gauge custom chrome-plated steel coat hangers, the sculpture possesses an extraordinary sense of transparency and movement. From a distance, the horse reads as a complete figurative form; up close, it dissolves into a remarkably intricate network of individually fabricated hangers, rewarding close inspection from every angle.
Few retail commissions from the early twenty-first century survive intact, particularly on this scale. Conceived as a temporary architectural installation, this example has been carefully preserved and represents an exceptionally rare opportunity to acquire a significant work associated with one of America's most influential luxury retailers and one of the defining visual merchandising programs of its era.
It is chrome plated, so not suitable for exterior use unless it is professionally powder-coated in a clear.