As the summer continues to heat up, what could be cooler than lounging on the water on a one-of-a-kind pool float designed and signed by the photographer and conceptual artist Cindy Sherman? The 5.5-foot, metallic silver pool float, which bears a selfie from the artist’s iPhone, is being offered in an online charity auction that runs on eBay through July 29.
“I took a photo of myself wearing a knitted hat for Helene Winer of Metro Pictures gallery who made it for me. But before I could press send, I accidentally pushed a button that merged the image with another on my iPhone,” Sherman says, in describing what she calls the “Oops” image. “I thought it was a happy accident, so I kept it.”
Proceeds from the sale of the float will be earmarked for +Pool, a New York nonprofit initiative aimed at reclaiming the city’s rivers as a recreational resource while educating the public about issues affecting water quality.
A concept rendering for the 9,000 square foot + POOL. Photo: Courtesy + POOL
While most great cities of the world have one river to enjoy, New York has two—but none have been safe to swim in since the late 1930s. +Pool plans to change all that with the construction of an innovative water-filtering, floating swimming pool to be anchored at a soon-to-be-selected site along the New York City waterfront. If all goes according to plan, the tight mesh walls of the 9,000-square-foot +Pool will clean more than 600,000 gallons of river water every single day without the use of chemicals or chlorine.
“+Pool is very much an artist-led project, which lends itself to fun collaborations like this one with Cindy,” says Archie Lee Coates IV, a fellow artist and cofounder of +Pool. “We absolutely adore her work and love the concept of literally blowing up her iPhone and Instagram.”
Cindy Sherman’s “Untitled Film Still #45” (1979), a gelatin silver print. Photo: Courtesy Cindy Sherman
The float, explains Coates, can be used in the water or as a sculptural object. It is packaged in a Sherman-inspired canvas tote designed by Virgil Abloh and bears the quote “I’d rather be swimming” from the water-loving artist. It also comes with a black-and-white photo of Sherman swimming. In addition, the lucky bidder will be given a personalized +Pool tile—a keepsake duplicate of one that will be installed at the pool when it is built—as well as a “first dip” pass when it opens.
For those who may find themselves outbid, they have the option of purchasing unsigned metallic silver versions of the pool floats for $250 at Third Drawer Down’s new eBay store.
