New Bridges

New York, October 2022

contact paper, tape cellophane

35ft x 11ft

 

This artwork was made as part of the Dialogues Across Disciplines Grant in which I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Schmidt from the Social Studies Department at Teachers College. During my initial conversation with Dr. Schmidt we found a common excitement about bridges. In my research, I found myself drawn to one bridge in particular, High Bridge. It is the oldest bridge in Manhattan and it is a combination of an old structure and a new structure. It is a physical representation of two different ideas coming together as one. In our next meeting at High Bridge, I took a photo of mine and Dr. Schmidt’s feet on either side of the old and new side of the bridge. The photo helped me to see that through our dialogues, we were building a bridge that connected us. 

By just looking at the water surrounding Manhattan, an interesting shape emerges. Each of the waterways is an estuary, which is a water body where freshwater from rivers and streams mixes with salt water from the ocean. The artwork feels like a recreation of the moment when Dr. Schmidt and I were standing on High Bridge. As viewers walk around the piece, their conversations become new bridges of connection.