The Ladder

by Iván Navarro

Gracing the facade of 50 Jones is a neon statement by international renowned artists Iván Navarro. Referencing the neon found on historical marquees throughout the neighborhood and the old fire escapes of SF, The Ladder is a culmination of Navarro’s earlier works. Gazing up at a giant ladder of light, viewers experience a sensation of mystery and transcendence that transports them from the materiality and the mundane of urban street life. The 10-story zigzagging, ascending neon ladder is the ultimate realization of this phenomenon, a fully fleshed-out tower of bright white, intangible light disappearing skyward.

Navarro lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. He represented Chile in the 2009 Venice Biennale and one of his earliest shows was at Galeria de la Raza in San Francisco. His sculptures have been in numerous gallery exhibitions and are in museum collections worldwide.