Good Art Provokes . . .

. . . better art nearly drowns and kills:

A pair of kayakers who paddled too close to the New York City Waterfalls installation under the Brooklyn Bridge nearly drowned when swift currents and the falls’ suction mechanism capsized their boat, police said.

“I wanted to get a closer look at the waterfalls, and then it sucked us in,” said Vladimer Spector, 37, one of the two men plucked from the East River by the NYPD Harbor Patrol.

He and Bert Rosenblatt, 36, were part of a group of real estate developers who left Red Hook for a tour of the falls with the nonprofit Long Island City Community Boathouse.

As they approached the waterfall, they started to lose control of their boat, police said.

“They were too enthralled with the waterfalls,” said John McGarvey, one of the outing’s coordinators.

By the time the pair realized the power of the water, it was too late.

“I lost my shoes because the current was so strong,” said Rosenblatt, who lives in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, and owns Vicus Partners on Madison Ave. “My life didn’t flash before my eyes or anything like that, but I was definitely scared.”

The falls were turned off for 15 minutes during the rescue.