Follow The Light: Freddy’s Introduces New Outdoor Projections

If you’ve spotted an unearthly glow emanating from across the Prospect Expressway, it’s not aliens, toxic Gowanus seepage, or a rogue Banksy instillation. Freddy’s co-owner Donald O’Finn tells us that the bar is now projecting his video art pieces on the side of the building, in a joint effort with South owner Paul Molnar to bring more attention to this end of 5th Avenue.

“My Shakespeare summer project was one thing, the summer walks, and this projection are all part of it,” Paul explained via email.

“Yes,” said Donald, “the hope is that ‘the worthy’ will follow the light…let folks know that a great world exists just a few blocks away…great merchants, bars, and restaurants are right across the Prospect Expressway.

“Since the projection is visible from about 12th Ave or so,” he continued, “at 12th Street and 5th Ave it is sort of a pulsating, glowing, dancing light, I hope to present this end of Park Slope (Art Slope is my hope) as a place more experimental and unique…much more like what ‘downtown’ Park Slope was like when I moved here 25 years ago.”

Beyond Freddy’s, Donald is an artist with a Masters degree from the San Francisco Art Institute, and has been creating impressive video collages of old TV and movie clips since the early ’80s.

Not all the projections, which will run every night (weather permitting), will be from Donald’s portfolio, though. He tells us that Christmas classics are on the agenda for 5th Avenue’s Small Business Saturday celebration on November 30.

Photo by Swankie Frankie