9/11 in Works of Art

These paintings were created in the days following 9/11 in NYC. Having just moved to Greenpoint (Brooklyn) from lower Manhattan where my apartment was located just under the shadow of the World Trade Center, I was extremely fortunate to now be living out of that immediate area. Even so, everything about this catastrophic event permeated every corner of the city; the feeling of helplessness and loss, bewilderment and fear; and the acrid smell in the air that lingered for weeks. Below, is my painting, Unfinished Business to relay the feelings of disorder and confusion in a new world as a population that was under attack, and this was far from over. America had finally woke from its sleepy oblivion.

I created this piece above, Talk of Towers, after seeing the fire in the South Tower on my way to work in Chelsea that perfect September morning, and subsequently witnessing the fall of both. I often use paper ephemera as a background before I start painting. In this case, I used subway maps with some routes and stations that would be forever changed. The WTC was marked with a red dot which can be seen through certain areas of translucence in the paint. With my usual cell “language” I have developed throughout my recent work, I modified it with a star to mark some of the central nuclei to convey the rise in patriotism felt everywhere. When you look at the piece as a whole, you can make out the faint division of three columns; on either end, the two Towers, and the ghost-like negative space centered in between.