Catch & Release: Abandoned Art

Eight months ago I moved to New York City, and during my time here I've grown to appreciate a lot of things I didn't expect. One aspect in particular is the city's absolute non-cleanliness.

People often describe NYC as very dirty, but to me it's simply lived in and experienced. Think of the crease lines in an elderly person's face - they represent the time they've witnessed and the wisdom they've cultivated. Like those lines, New York City has marks of age, experience, and wisdom in its own way. The uncleanliness is part and parcel in expressing character and personality.

I love that the desk I'm sitting at as I type this has been used before, complete with paint stains, doodles, carvings, and dents covering every visible surface. I love that the rug leading to the elevator is worn at the center from all the feet that have gone to and fro. Scratches oscillate around the orange call button from all the nails that begged to be satisfied by a glowing arrow and a "ding" sound. Everything screams of human contact. And I haven't even left the building yet.

Imperfections like these give the city a very home-like atmosphere for me. Just like myself (and all of us), the city is imperfect, and there's something very powerful about that simple association. I feel like I can relate to the people who occupy the same space, like we're all part of a team that communicates through our surroundings as opposed through direct interaction.

A couple of years ago I took a trip to Chicago to meet up with a close friend. During my visit she took me to the heart of the city and the waterfront. While the sights were absolutely beautiful I felt a growing uneasiness as I the trip went on. I couldn't put my finger on it while I was there, but when I got home and was asked how I liked the city I could only say, "Very clean." And that's when I realized that it's cleanliness was the quality that was so unsettling to me. There were so many people packed into the city, yet there seemed to be few traces of life beyond actual people.

Recently we were assigned to place art in the public eye in any way we like. This was an opportunity for me to contribute to the character of New York City. I toyed with an idea that required a small team of eager artists, but since I couldn't gather the masses during finals I decided to simplify it. I took four abandoned paintings from the studio, packed them up in my backpack, threw my camera around my neck, and looked for a public place to present them. The video below shows my short journey.