Because this exhibit is intended to focus on process, blur lines between artworks, and reduce the primacy of the individual artist in favor of a loose integrated net of creativity that blankets the entire gallery - even the act of writing a statement about the individual work could be seen to detract from the exhibit's mission.
What follows is therefore, not a concise statement but rather a long rambling description of participation.
In the spring of this year I was invited by Jose Ruiz, curator of Bronx River Art Centre (BRAC) and Heng-Gil Han, curator for the Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning (JCAL), to submit responses to a set of questions.
They were asking a variety of artists to respond to the idea of an exhibit where artists would make work in a gallery setting and then have it subsequently altered by others. Among the questions asked were: "What contribution can you make to this unconventional exhibition?", "Can you allow other artists to revise your installation?", and "Who would be other artists that you would like to invite to the exhibition for the revision and collective art-making?"
The resulting exhibit: "Metro Poles, Art in Action", is a curatorial collaboration with Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning (JCAL), the Bronx River Art Centre (BRAC), the Asian American Arts Center (AAAC), and the Maiden Lane Exhibition Space.
Among the things I wrote back in my initial response were the following:
"I will photograph in or near the display space - i.e. nearby buildings, back yards, whatever. The available views will function as a filter or organizing principle. This will become the target of research."
"I will then go out on the street and find anecdotal information from passersby (as well as from people employed by the art institution) regarding who lives there, what business is conducted, what events have been witnessed etc."
"In a third step I will do further historical research about the visually identified locations on-line. I will then make a collage from the various information materials, printed with ink jet, in a variety of sizes and textures of paper and post the information on the galley walls, like fliers or even gorilla-style like paper street art."
"All this material, both the physical printing on paper and the conceptual structure surrounding it would then be available as raw materials to use by subsequent artists in any way they see fit. I would simply hope they might function as a launching off point of interest in the creative process going forward."
I also invited artists Chang-Jin Lee, Marcy Brafman, and Åsa Elzén to be "team members" for our group, one of seven groups to work in the space.
For my part I ultimately adopted 6 strategies, relating to my initial proposal that were designed to explore the Bronx, West Farms, (the neighborhood where BRAC is located), and the area's relationship to the gallery and the mission of the exhibit.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Strategy 6 - Blog and website
Strategy 6: Blog and website.
I created this blog to document my own progress so that other artists in our team could see what was happening, and am also posting materials to a section of a site. In a way though, this can also be seen as another strategy to "network out" the artwork, and a kind of final addition to the work, on my part.
I created this blog to document my own progress so that other artists in our team could see what was happening, and am also posting materials to a section of a site. In a way though, this can also be seen as another strategy to "network out" the artwork, and a kind of final addition to the work, on my part.
Strategy Five - Interacting
Strategy Five: Incorporation with other works.
I placed an old laptop within an arrangement of refuse, which another artist had put together. The computer displays the text from the "poems" I had created from the earlier documentary material, and so creates another avenue of historical communication, and also relates to the work it is situated in by referring to the problem of e-waist.
I Added text comments to artist Marcy Brafman's work, in the areas where the public is invited to participate.
I plan to fill in several blanks in mad libs left on the walls by another artist.
I created a stick figure comic from one of the many works on paper strewn throughout the gallery, referring to both that work and other art in the gallery, using text from a visitor as inspiration, and which questions what constitutes art.
I placed an old laptop within an arrangement of refuse, which another artist had put together. The computer displays the text from the "poems" I had created from the earlier documentary material, and so creates another avenue of historical communication, and also relates to the work it is situated in by referring to the problem of e-waist.
I Added text comments to artist Marcy Brafman's work, in the areas where the public is invited to participate.
I plan to fill in several blanks in mad libs left on the walls by another artist.
I created a stick figure comic from one of the many works on paper strewn throughout the gallery, referring to both that work and other art in the gallery, using text from a visitor as inspiration, and which questions what constitutes art.
You can just see the old laptop peeking out on the left...
Changes from Week 2
This is Marcy Brafman on her first day working in the second room.
The front room actually ended up so full that I decided to post the mapping and comic stuff in this room with Marcy's work instead of in the front room. The jpeg image stuff and the texts as well as a few stray bits of comics stayed in the first room.
Here's the front room. It became even more complex over the ensuing weeks...
Strategy Four - Mapping
Strategy Four: Mapping and modeling the neighborhood
Using a data projector I traced a street map of the entire neighborhood of west Farms onto a big 8' x 10' piece of paper and then cut the map roughly out of the center of it and pinned it to the gallery wall. I then recorded impressions about the neighborhood and where I met the people who became part of the comic.
Using a ground plan of the BRAC gallery I made a quick 3D computer model of the space and recorded where the first elements of the project were placed in the space.
I photographed part of an MTA subway map with my phone, showing West Farms, then emailed it to BRAC while on route to the gallery. Once there, I had them print the email with the map and posted it with the other mapping elements. This related to the personal nature of the work and to the idea of the documentarist or participant-observer including information about themselves within the surroundings being documented.
In the same vein, I downloaded an app to my mobile phone allowing me to track my GPS location and record in real time to a version of Google Maps. I posted a printout of one particular tracking event documenting my crossing of the entire length of West Farms, when the MTA train I was taking to the gallery went express and passed my intended stop. I thought, "This must happen all the time, when you live in West Farms."
Using a data projector I traced a street map of the entire neighborhood of west Farms onto a big 8' x 10' piece of paper and then cut the map roughly out of the center of it and pinned it to the gallery wall. I then recorded impressions about the neighborhood and where I met the people who became part of the comic.
Using a ground plan of the BRAC gallery I made a quick 3D computer model of the space and recorded where the first elements of the project were placed in the space.
I photographed part of an MTA subway map with my phone, showing West Farms, then emailed it to BRAC while on route to the gallery. Once there, I had them print the email with the map and posted it with the other mapping elements. This related to the personal nature of the work and to the idea of the documentarist or participant-observer including information about themselves within the surroundings being documented.
In the same vein, I downloaded an app to my mobile phone allowing me to track my GPS location and record in real time to a version of Google Maps. I posted a printout of one particular tracking event documenting my crossing of the entire length of West Farms, when the MTA train I was taking to the gallery went express and passed my intended stop. I thought, "This must happen all the time, when you live in West Farms."
Strategy Three - Comics
Strategy Three: Non-linear story telling, through the use of Comics
I have little connection to the world of comics, and never read them as a kid. I came at the format from video art, looking for a way to accomplish similar results, but in a form that allows the viewer more leeway in the amount of time they devote to the process. Still images allow more immediate intake.
The text for the comics comes not from the net research, (as is the case with many of my past projects) but from things that people actually said to me. This is combined with photos that are digitally reworked to become a sort of cartoon or comic book, printed in non archival inks on 13"x19" mat ink jet paper and pinned to the gallery wall. Various walks as well as interviews with gallery staff and local patrons provided the materials. Some responses also came from emailed questions to specific participants.
I have little connection to the world of comics, and never read them as a kid. I came at the format from video art, looking for a way to accomplish similar results, but in a form that allows the viewer more leeway in the amount of time they devote to the process. Still images allow more immediate intake.
The text for the comics comes not from the net research, (as is the case with many of my past projects) but from things that people actually said to me. This is combined with photos that are digitally reworked to become a sort of cartoon or comic book, printed in non archival inks on 13"x19" mat ink jet paper and pinned to the gallery wall. Various walks as well as interviews with gallery staff and local patrons provided the materials. Some responses also came from emailed questions to specific participants.
People from the neighborhood
These are pics of some of the people I met and interviewed in the neighborhood.
I decided to go ahead with the comics, but focus on people and what they say, rather than on architecture as I first imagined. I'm looking for material on economics, ethnicity, and cultural change, and also how the relationship of the Bronx River Art Center, to people here in West Farms.
Strategy Two - Texts
I'm ending up posting all this way after I did it but seems like it's worth sharing a bit of it.
Strategy Two: Download text related to the history of the Bronx and the neighborhood of West Farms.
I chose 9 of the most compelling texts among many dozen I had saved, formatted them in a formal structure designed to be reminiscent of poems, and pinned these to the wall.
In most cases, the written work was stripped to ASCII text, every comma was removed and converted to a carriage return, and every period was removed and converted to two carriage returns, to create text block separations, and finally the entire text was hard wrapped to 35 characters, to produce short phrases. I did a bit of clean up for readability, printed the texts and push pinned them to the wall.
The texts cover a range of subjects from how the Bronx got its name to the demographics and transportation structure of West Farms.
Strategy Two: Download text related to the history of the Bronx and the neighborhood of West Farms.
I chose 9 of the most compelling texts among many dozen I had saved, formatted them in a formal structure designed to be reminiscent of poems, and pinned these to the wall.
In most cases, the written work was stripped to ASCII text, every comma was removed and converted to a carriage return, and every period was removed and converted to two carriage returns, to create text block separations, and finally the entire text was hard wrapped to 35 characters, to produce short phrases. I did a bit of clean up for readability, printed the texts and push pinned them to the wall.
The texts cover a range of subjects from how the Bronx got its name to the demographics and transportation structure of West Farms.
Strategy One - Thumbnails
Strategy One: Gathering images based on a net search for the word "Bronx".
I ended up being stuck in bed with the flu all week, so I came in the following week with Marcy Brafman to finish up.
This was a way to begin to understand the visual history in relation to what people have recorded on the internet, about the Bronx.
This doesn't constitute a comprehensive compendium of visual material for two reasons. First, many things visual known and recorded were done by people prior to the world wide web and those people tend to be less connected, and thus fail to get their visual info recorded to a web readable format, and posted. As a result, much of this human visual archive is missing from a current search.
Secondly, visual searches are still in the dark ages of technology, or in their infancy. Most digital visual images must be "tagged" with text either in their name, metadata (invisible information attached to the digital visual file) or through some similar structure, in order to show up in a search. Smart search engines may also give some weight to images on web pages titled with the search term or in which text containing the term is laid out in close proximity to an image, but this is obviously a tricky mix to accomplish successfully and thus leaves out much of the valuable information that actually has been posted, but hasn't yet been tagged.
There are algorithms (the most effective of which are currently mostly available only to large corporations), which can search for the actual visual elements of an image, or its genuine "mediatic criteria", such as color, luminance etc. These can find an image no matter what it has been tagged, but even these currently cutting edge technologies can only look for an image once they already have a base image to compare, so they can find close matches, but only to images they already know about.
All this means that right now, doing a visual search on the Bronx yields a strikingly limited set of results. Nonetheless, it begins to tell some stories about what people, corporations, and organizations valued enough to tag and post.
To display I printed a selection of the results, 16 images to a page, on 8 1/2" x 11" ink jet paper, along with the name of each file displayed below it, on 18 pages, and taped them to the gallery wall, much as I might do in my studio.
This doesn't constitute a comprehensive compendium of visual material for two reasons. First, many things visual known and recorded were done by people prior to the world wide web and those people tend to be less connected, and thus fail to get their visual info recorded to a web readable format, and posted. As a result, much of this human visual archive is missing from a current search.
Secondly, visual searches are still in the dark ages of technology, or in their infancy. Most digital visual images must be "tagged" with text either in their name, metadata (invisible information attached to the digital visual file) or through some similar structure, in order to show up in a search. Smart search engines may also give some weight to images on web pages titled with the search term or in which text containing the term is laid out in close proximity to an image, but this is obviously a tricky mix to accomplish successfully and thus leaves out much of the valuable information that actually has been posted, but hasn't yet been tagged.
There are algorithms (the most effective of which are currently mostly available only to large corporations), which can search for the actual visual elements of an image, or its genuine "mediatic criteria", such as color, luminance etc. These can find an image no matter what it has been tagged, but even these currently cutting edge technologies can only look for an image once they already have a base image to compare, so they can find close matches, but only to images they already know about.
All this means that right now, doing a visual search on the Bronx yields a strikingly limited set of results. Nonetheless, it begins to tell some stories about what people, corporations, and organizations valued enough to tag and post.
To display I printed a selection of the results, 16 images to a page, on 8 1/2" x 11" ink jet paper, along with the name of each file displayed below it, on 18 pages, and taped them to the gallery wall, much as I might do in my studio.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
West Farms Bronx
This is pretty bleak info about the neighborhood. After I left the gallery, I had a great little interview with some high school students at the local MacDonald's. I saw Jose at the gallery today and he showed me some of the stuff they have if we need it.
Here's some more text stuff.
West Farms Bronx
West Farms is a
residential neighborhood
geographically located
in the west Bronx,
New York City.
The neighborhood is part of
Bronx Community Board 6.
Its boundaries,
starting from the north and moving
clockwise are:
Bronx Park
to the north,
the Bronx River Parkway
to the east,
the Cross-Bronx Expressway
to the south,
and the Southern Blvd
to the west.
East Tremont Avenue is the
primary thoroughfare through
West Farms.
The local subway is the IRT
White Plains Road Line (2 5) at
West Farms Square -
East Tremont Avenue
(IRT White Plains Road Line),
operating along Boston Road.
Zip codes include 10460.
The area is patrolled by
the 48th Precinct
located at
450 Cross Bronx Expressway
in East Tremont.
NYCHA property in the area is
patrolled by P. S. A. 8
at 2794 Randall Avenue
in the Throgs Neck section
of the Bronx.
Demographics:
West Farms
has a population over 20,000.
For decades
West Farms
has been one of the poorest communities
in America.
Over half the population
lives below the poverty line
and receives public assistance
(AFDC,
Home Relief,
Supplemental Security Income,
and Medicaid).
West Farms
has one of the highest concentrations
of Puerto Ricans
in all of New York City.
The vast majority of households
are renter occupied.
Land use and terrain:
West Farms
is dominated by
5 and 6-story tenement buildings,
older multi-unit homes,
vacant lots,
and newly constructed subsidized
attached multi-unit townhouses
and apartment buildings.
Most of the original housing stock
was structurally damaged by arson
and eventually razed
by the city.
The total land area is less than
one square mile.
The terrain is somewhat hilly.
West Farms Bus Depot:
The West Farms Bus Depot is located
along East 177th Street
next to a terminated
Sheridan Expressway.
Opened on September 7, 2003
on the site of the former
Coliseum Depot.
Low income public housing projects:
There is one
NYCHA development located in
West Farms.
1010 East 178th Street;
a 21-story building.
Many social problems associated
with poverty
from crime
to drug addiction
have plagued the area
for some time.
Despite crime declines
(versus their peaks during the
crack and heroin epidemics)
violent crime continues to be
a serious problem
in the community.
West Farms
has significantly higher
drop out rates
and incidents of violence
in its schools.
Students must pass through
metal detectors
and swipe ID cards
to enter the buildings,
reminiscent of a prison environment
which many feel
encourages bad behavior.
Other problems in local schools
include low test scores
and high truancy rates.
Drug addiction is also a serious
problem in the community.
Due to the lucrative drug trade
in the area
many addicted reside
in the community.
Peer pressure among children
who come from broken homes
contributes to the high rate
of usage.
Many households in the area
are headed by
a single mother
which contributes to the
high poverty rate.
Many of these mothers had their
children at a very young age
and could not properly provide
for their children.
A significant number of families
living in
West Farms
have been in poverty
for generations.
The incarceration rate in the area
is also very high.
Many males in the community
have been arrested
at least once in their lives.
This has a direct correlation to
aggressive policing tactics
including "sweeps" due to the
area's high crime rate.
West Farms
is home to a significant number
of inmates
currently held
in New York state prison
and jail facilities.
Urban renewal:
After a wave of arson
ravaged the low income communities
of New York City
throughout the 1970s,
most residential structures in
West Farms
were left seriously damaged
or destroyed.
The city began to rehabilitate
many formerly abandoned
tenement style
apartment buildings
and designate them
low income housing
beginning in the late 1970s.
Many subsidized
attached multi-unit townhouses
and newly constructed
apartment buildings
have been or are being built
on vacant lots
across the neighborhood.
This particular neighborhood
is known for its
illegal sex trade,
primarily street level
prostitution.
West Farms
is often considered
part of the socioeconomic
South Bronx.
.
West Farms is a
residential neighborhood
geographically located
in the west Bronx,
New York City.
The neighborhood is part of
Bronx Community Board 6.
Its boundaries,
starting from the north and moving
clockwise are:
Bronx Park
to the north,
the Bronx River Parkway
to the east,
the Cross-Bronx Expressway
to the south,
and the Southern Blvd
to the west.
East Tremont Avenue is the
primary thoroughfare through
West Farms.
The local subway is the IRT
White Plains Road Line (2 5) at
West Farms Square -
East Tremont Avenue
(IRT White Plains Road Line),
operating along Boston Road.
Zip codes include 10460.
The area is patrolled by
the 48th Precinct
located at
450 Cross Bronx Expressway
in East Tremont.
NYCHA property in the area is
patrolled by P. S. A. 8
at 2794 Randall Avenue
in the Throgs Neck section
of the Bronx.
Demographics:
West Farms
has a population over 20,000.
For decades
West Farms
has been one of the poorest communities
in America.
Over half the population
lives below the poverty line
and receives public assistance
(AFDC,
Home Relief,
Supplemental Security Income,
and Medicaid).
West Farms
has one of the highest concentrations
of Puerto Ricans
in all of New York City.
The vast majority of households
are renter occupied.
Land use and terrain:
West Farms
is dominated by
5 and 6-story tenement buildings,
older multi-unit homes,
vacant lots,
and newly constructed subsidized
attached multi-unit townhouses
and apartment buildings.
Most of the original housing stock
was structurally damaged by arson
and eventually razed
by the city.
The total land area is less than
one square mile.
The terrain is somewhat hilly.
West Farms Bus Depot:
The West Farms Bus Depot is located
along East 177th Street
next to a terminated
Sheridan Expressway.
Opened on September 7, 2003
on the site of the former
Coliseum Depot.
Low income public housing projects:
There is one
NYCHA development located in
West Farms.
1010 East 178th Street;
a 21-story building.
Many social problems associated
with poverty
from crime
to drug addiction
have plagued the area
for some time.
Despite crime declines
(versus their peaks during the
crack and heroin epidemics)
violent crime continues to be
a serious problem
in the community.
West Farms
has significantly higher
drop out rates
and incidents of violence
in its schools.
Students must pass through
metal detectors
and swipe ID cards
to enter the buildings,
reminiscent of a prison environment
which many feel
encourages bad behavior.
Other problems in local schools
include low test scores
and high truancy rates.
Drug addiction is also a serious
problem in the community.
Due to the lucrative drug trade
in the area
many addicted reside
in the community.
Peer pressure among children
who come from broken homes
contributes to the high rate
of usage.
Many households in the area
are headed by
a single mother
which contributes to the
high poverty rate.
Many of these mothers had their
children at a very young age
and could not properly provide
for their children.
A significant number of families
living in
West Farms
have been in poverty
for generations.
The incarceration rate in the area
is also very high.
Many males in the community
have been arrested
at least once in their lives.
This has a direct correlation to
aggressive policing tactics
including "sweeps" due to the
area's high crime rate.
West Farms
is home to a significant number
of inmates
currently held
in New York state prison
and jail facilities.
Urban renewal:
After a wave of arson
ravaged the low income communities
of New York City
throughout the 1970s,
most residential structures in
West Farms
were left seriously damaged
or destroyed.
The city began to rehabilitate
many formerly abandoned
tenement style
apartment buildings
and designate them
low income housing
beginning in the late 1970s.
Many subsidized
attached multi-unit townhouses
and newly constructed
apartment buildings
have been or are being built
on vacant lots
across the neighborhood.
This particular neighborhood
is known for its
illegal sex trade,
primarily street level
prostitution.
West Farms
is often considered
part of the socioeconomic
South Bronx.
.
Bronx Before 1914
Some more text research. By the way, I didn't change anything today at the space...
Bronx Before 1914
The development of
the Bronx
is directly connected
to its strategic location
between New England and
New York (Manhattan)
Control over the bridges
across the Harlem River
plagued the period of
British colonial rule
Kingsbridge
built in 1693
where Broadway reached
the Spuyten Duyvil Creek
was a possession
of the lords of
Philipse Manor
The tolls they charged
were resented by
Bronx farmers
with crops and cattle to sell
in New York
It was angry farmers
who built a
"free bridge"
across the Harlem River
which led to the abandonment
of tolls
altogether
The territory
now contained within
Bronx County
was originally part of
Westchester County
one of the
12 original counties
of the English Province of
New York
The present
Bronx County
was contained in the town of
Westchester
and parts of the towns
of Yonkers
Eastchester
and Pelham
In 1846
a new town
West Farms
was created by division of
Westchester
in turn
in 1855
the town of Morrisania
was created
from West Farms
In 1873
the town of
Kingsbridge
roughly corresponding to the
modern Bronx neighborhoods
of Kingsbridge
Riverdale
and Woodlawn
was established within
the former borders of
Yonkers
The consolidation of
the Bronx
into New York City
proceeded in
two stages
In 1873
the state legislature annexed
Kingsbridge
West Farms
and Morrisania
to New York
Effective in 1874
the three towns
were abolished
in the process
On January 1, 1898
the consolidated
City of New York
was born, including
the Bronx
as one of the five distinct
Boroughs
At the same time
the Bronx's territory moved from
Westchester County
into New York County
which already contained
Manhattan
and the rest of pre-1874
New York City
On April 19, 1912
those parts of
New York County
which had been annexed from
Westchester County
in the past decades
were newly constituted as
Bronx County
the 62nd and last county
to be created by the state
effective in 1914
Bronx County's courts
opened for business
on January 2, 1914
the same day that
John P. Mitchel
started work as Mayor of
New York City
The development of
the Bronx
is directly connected
to its strategic location
between New England and
New York (Manhattan)
Control over the bridges
across the Harlem River
plagued the period of
British colonial rule
Kingsbridge
built in 1693
where Broadway reached
the Spuyten Duyvil Creek
was a possession
of the lords of
Philipse Manor
The tolls they charged
were resented by
Bronx farmers
with crops and cattle to sell
in New York
It was angry farmers
who built a
"free bridge"
across the Harlem River
which led to the abandonment
of tolls
altogether
The territory
now contained within
Bronx County
was originally part of
Westchester County
one of the
12 original counties
of the English Province of
New York
The present
Bronx County
was contained in the town of
Westchester
and parts of the towns
of Yonkers
Eastchester
and Pelham
In 1846
a new town
West Farms
was created by division of
Westchester
in turn
in 1855
the town of Morrisania
was created
from West Farms
In 1873
the town of
Kingsbridge
roughly corresponding to the
modern Bronx neighborhoods
of Kingsbridge
Riverdale
and Woodlawn
was established within
the former borders of
Yonkers
The consolidation of
the Bronx
into New York City
proceeded in
two stages
In 1873
the state legislature annexed
Kingsbridge
West Farms
and Morrisania
to New York
Effective in 1874
the three towns
were abolished
in the process
On January 1, 1898
the consolidated
City of New York
was born, including
the Bronx
as one of the five distinct
Boroughs
At the same time
the Bronx's territory moved from
Westchester County
into New York County
which already contained
Manhattan
and the rest of pre-1874
New York City
On April 19, 1912
those parts of
New York County
which had been annexed from
Westchester County
in the past decades
were newly constituted as
Bronx County
the 62nd and last county
to be created by the state
effective in 1914
Bronx County's courts
opened for business
on January 2, 1914
the same day that
John P. Mitchel
started work as Mayor of
New York City
10452.us Bronx, NY
This is some of my text research.
10452.us Bronx, NY
(Highlights)
The Bronx is New York City's
northernmost borough
coterminous with
Bronx County
It is the only one of the
city's five boroughs
situated primarily
on the United States
mainland
rather than on an island
If all five boroughs were
independent cities
the Bronx would rank as the
ninth most populous city
in the United States
The Bronx is the
fourth most populous of
New York City's
five boroughs
Although commonly known as
"The Bronx"
The official county name
does not include
the definite article
"The"
The name refers to
the Bronx River
and rivers are
commonly referred to
with the article "The"
(e.g. "the Hudson")
The Bronx was called
Rananchqua
by the native
Siwanoy people
a band of the
Lenape peoples
while other Native Americans
knew The Bronx as
Keskeskeck
The land was
first settled by Europeans
in 1639
when Jonas Bronck
for whom the area was later named
established a farm
along the Harlem River
The Dutch and English settlers
referred to the area as
"Bronck's Land"
The territory now contained within
Bronx County
was originally part of
Westchester County
In 1846, a new town
West Farms
was created by secession from
Westchester
in turn, in 1855
the town of Morrisania seceded from
West Farms
In 1874
the western portion of
the present Bronx County
consisting of the towns of
Kingsbridge
West Farms
and Morrisania
was transferred to
New York County
and in 1895 the
Town of Westchester
and portions of
Eastchester and Pelham
were transferred to
New York County
In 1898
the amalgamated City of New York
was created
including
the Bronx
as one of its five boroughs
In 1914
those parts of the then
New York County
which had been annexed from
Westchester County
in the past decades
were newly constituted as
Bronx County
while keeping its status as a
borough of New York City
The Bronx
underwent rapid growth
after World War I
Extensions of
the New York City Subway
contributed to the increase in
population as thousands of
immigrants flooded
the Bronx
resulting in a major boom in
residential construction
Among these groups
many Irish
and Italians
but especially Jews
settled here
In addition
French
German
and Polish
immigrants
moved into the borough
The Jewish population
also increased notably
during this time
and many synagogues
still exist
throughout the borough
although many of these
have been converted
to other uses
In prohibition days
bootleggers and gangs
ran rampant in
the Bronx
Mostly Irish
and Italian
immigrants
smuggled in
the illegal whiskey
By 1926
the Bronx
was noted
for its high crime rate
and its many
speakeasies
After the 1930s
the Irish immigrant population
in the Bronx
decreased as a result of
better living conditions
in New York suburbs
and in other states
The German population
followed suit
in the 1940s
So did many Italians
in the 1950s
and Jewish-Americans
in the 1960s
As the generation of
the 1930s retired
many moved to
southeastern Florida
west of Fort Lauderdale
and Palm Beach
Today there is a thriving
Hispanic community
mostly Puerto Rican
and Dominican
as well as African and
African-American
populations
During the mid-1960s
to the mid-1970s
the Bronx
went into an era of
sharp decline
in the residents'
quality of life
Urban renewal projects
in the borough
(such as Robert Moses'
Cross-Bronx Expressway)
destroyed existing
low-density neighborhoods
in favor of roads that produced
urban sprawl
as well as high-density
housing projects
Another factor
may have been the reduction
by insurance companies
and banks
in offering mortgages
to some areas of
the Bronx
a process known as
Redlining
A wave of arson
overtook the southern portion
of the borough's
apartment buildings
Some point to the heavy traffic
and use of illicit drugs
among the area's poor
as causing them to be
inclined to scam
the city's benefits
for burn-out victims
as well as the
Section 8 housing program
Others believe landlords
decided to
burn their buildings
before their insurance policies
expired
and were not
renewed
After the destruction
of many buildings
in the South Bronx
the arsons
all but ended
by the mid 1980s
The infamous crack epidemic
continued into the
early 1990s
Since the early 1990s
much development has occurred
Groups affiliated with
South Bronx churches
have built the
Nehemiah Homes
with about 1,000 units
This and other developments
have transformed the
south Bronx
and the ripple effects
are felt
borough-wide
While the Bronx
still contains the
poorest congressional district
in the mainland US
crime has dropped substantially
from the burned-out days
of the 1970s and 1980s
This is due primarily
to community members
working to
take the community back
and build it up
once again
The resurgence in housing
has led some single-family homes
in the East Bronx
to be replaced by
multi-family homes
As a result
the IRT White Plains Road Line
has experienced increased
ridership
The Bronx is
almost entirely
situated on the
North American mainland
but it also includes
several small islands
in the East River and
Long Island Sound
The Hudson River separates
the Bronx
from New Jersey to its west
the Harlem River separates it
from the island of Manhattan
to the southwest
the East River separates it
from Queens to the southeast
and Long Island Sound
separates it from Nassau County
to the east
Westchester County is directly
north of the Bronx
(Highlights)
The Bronx is New York City's
northernmost borough
coterminous with
Bronx County
It is the only one of the
city's five boroughs
situated primarily
on the United States
mainland
rather than on an island
If all five boroughs were
independent cities
the Bronx would rank as the
ninth most populous city
in the United States
The Bronx is the
fourth most populous of
New York City's
five boroughs
Although commonly known as
"The Bronx"
The official county name
does not include
the definite article
"The"
The name refers to
the Bronx River
and rivers are
commonly referred to
with the article "The"
(e.g. "the Hudson")
The Bronx was called
Rananchqua
by the native
Siwanoy people
a band of the
Lenape peoples
while other Native Americans
knew The Bronx as
Keskeskeck
The land was
first settled by Europeans
in 1639
when Jonas Bronck
for whom the area was later named
established a farm
along the Harlem River
The Dutch and English settlers
referred to the area as
"Bronck's Land"
The territory now contained within
Bronx County
was originally part of
Westchester County
In 1846, a new town
West Farms
was created by secession from
Westchester
in turn, in 1855
the town of Morrisania seceded from
West Farms
In 1874
the western portion of
the present Bronx County
consisting of the towns of
Kingsbridge
West Farms
and Morrisania
was transferred to
New York County
and in 1895 the
Town of Westchester
and portions of
Eastchester and Pelham
were transferred to
New York County
In 1898
the amalgamated City of New York
was created
including
the Bronx
as one of its five boroughs
In 1914
those parts of the then
New York County
which had been annexed from
Westchester County
in the past decades
were newly constituted as
Bronx County
while keeping its status as a
borough of New York City
The Bronx
underwent rapid growth
after World War I
Extensions of
the New York City Subway
contributed to the increase in
population as thousands of
immigrants flooded
the Bronx
resulting in a major boom in
residential construction
Among these groups
many Irish
and Italians
but especially Jews
settled here
In addition
French
German
and Polish
immigrants
moved into the borough
The Jewish population
also increased notably
during this time
and many synagogues
still exist
throughout the borough
although many of these
have been converted
to other uses
In prohibition days
bootleggers and gangs
ran rampant in
the Bronx
Mostly Irish
and Italian
immigrants
smuggled in
the illegal whiskey
By 1926
the Bronx
was noted
for its high crime rate
and its many
speakeasies
After the 1930s
the Irish immigrant population
in the Bronx
decreased as a result of
better living conditions
in New York suburbs
and in other states
The German population
followed suit
in the 1940s
So did many Italians
in the 1950s
and Jewish-Americans
in the 1960s
As the generation of
the 1930s retired
many moved to
southeastern Florida
west of Fort Lauderdale
and Palm Beach
Today there is a thriving
Hispanic community
mostly Puerto Rican
and Dominican
as well as African and
African-American
populations
During the mid-1960s
to the mid-1970s
the Bronx
went into an era of
sharp decline
in the residents'
quality of life
Urban renewal projects
in the borough
(such as Robert Moses'
Cross-Bronx Expressway)
destroyed existing
low-density neighborhoods
in favor of roads that produced
urban sprawl
as well as high-density
housing projects
Another factor
may have been the reduction
by insurance companies
and banks
in offering mortgages
to some areas of
the Bronx
a process known as
Redlining
A wave of arson
overtook the southern portion
of the borough's
apartment buildings
Some point to the heavy traffic
and use of illicit drugs
among the area's poor
as causing them to be
inclined to scam
the city's benefits
for burn-out victims
as well as the
Section 8 housing program
Others believe landlords
decided to
burn their buildings
before their insurance policies
expired
and were not
renewed
After the destruction
of many buildings
in the South Bronx
the arsons
all but ended
by the mid 1980s
The infamous crack epidemic
continued into the
early 1990s
Since the early 1990s
much development has occurred
Groups affiliated with
South Bronx churches
have built the
Nehemiah Homes
with about 1,000 units
This and other developments
have transformed the
south Bronx
and the ripple effects
are felt
borough-wide
While the Bronx
still contains the
poorest congressional district
in the mainland US
crime has dropped substantially
from the burned-out days
of the 1970s and 1980s
This is due primarily
to community members
working to
take the community back
and build it up
once again
The resurgence in housing
has led some single-family homes
in the East Bronx
to be replaced by
multi-family homes
As a result
the IRT White Plains Road Line
has experienced increased
ridership
The Bronx is
almost entirely
situated on the
North American mainland
but it also includes
several small islands
in the East River and
Long Island Sound
The Hudson River separates
the Bronx
from New Jersey to its west
the Harlem River separates it
from the island of Manhattan
to the southwest
the East River separates it
from Queens to the southeast
and Long Island Sound
separates it from Nassau County
to the east
Westchester County is directly
north of the Bronx
Monday, October 27, 2008
First Day of Work - Details
You can see I didn't even spell check. Text is just place holder at this point. I may continue with the comic idea or drop it. I should probably know by tomorrow. I still have to sort out how to get the mapping element I want to manifest itself in the project.
I did two interviews today, some bus drivers, and also met someone from a nearby school.
I may post some of the text research here on the blog too.
First Day of Work - Full Views
I ended up choosing East wall of the first room to begin work. The North wall already had a fabric piece started and there were several works in the second room as well.
I had done a net search for the term "Bronx" and downloaded about 280 images. I posted 8 1/2 x 11 pieces of paper showing them as a series of thumbnails. I had also downloaded hundreds of pages of text researching the Bronx and the West Farms area where the Bronx River Art Center is located.
I selected nine of those texts and printed them out, and hung them on the wall.
I also experimented with creating a comic about the neighborhood and about the experience of creating the exhibit. I posted a 13" x 19" example on the wall as well.
All that may well change as I continue to work.
General Meeting at JCAL
Bob Lee, Jose Ruiz, and Heng-Gil Han lay out the basic Idea for the multi institution Metro Poles Exhibit, for the participating artists, and explain how the approaches of each institution will differ.
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