HighWaterLine

Contemplating climate change

Sunday was another beautiful day in NYC. The sun was shining brightly in the crisp cool air. I always think things look sharper and more in focus in the crisp fall and winter air. I am one of those weird people who loves cool and cold weather. So I was pretty happy to be out chalking even if it started at about 9:30 on a Sunday morning. (I think my future projects will happen only on weekdays).

I started the day finishing up the line through the streets of Gowanus. I was accompanied again by my friend Margo, who biked from Washington Heights to Gowanus. Quite a ride, but on such a gorgeous day she said it was fabulous (I believe her!) We were headed to Red Hook soccer fields for installation of beacons AND some great food! We finished the chalking, noting all of the scrap metal and industrial sites along the Gowanus Canal that lay below the line. This means that a storm would sweep all of these toxins farther inland, as well as washing them back out to sea when the water recedes. Of course the toxins are also leaching into the groundwater and through that process washing into the Gowanus already.

We met up with Peter at the soccer fields and treated ourselves to some Salvadorean pupusas before starting the install. Hose also came out to shoot some more for me.

This was the most fascinating installation yet! For those who are not familiar with the Red Hook soccer fields, it is a soccer field that is used from dawn to dusk on the weekends from May to October. It is always packed - soccer teams, their entire families, lots of kids, the food vendors, loads of people visiting for the food and a lot of other people just out to enjoy the day. So the installation was intertwined with many other goings on.

As I started the installation, I was swamped by a bunch of kids who were fascinated by what I was doing. They all wanted to help and were fighting over trying to help me install everything. They then took ownership of the project, telling people not to touch them and keeping the beacons well guarded. I had one young man who helped me install everything, carry water to fill them and put on the caps. This was a great installation - I talked to so many people of all ages and from all areas of Brooklyn, what a great place to meet many people.

Unfortunately I ended up a little short handed in the afternoon and needed to do some more chalking. So I uninstalled the beacons later in the day (but before nightfall) in order to do more chalking. I still wanted to have the beacons up after dark, so I returned to install a small grouping of them. A group of the girls who were watching the daytime installation were still there and they loved the beacons at night. They were looking at all of the beacons with the lights in them and told me they looked beautiful. At the end of the evening, they were huddled around one of the beacons, lost in contemplation. So from a hectic day came a peaceful and contemplative evening.

Thanks to all the kids out at the ball fields for their energy, fascination and interest in learning about art and climate change!

Apologies for the delay in posting this I was trying to get all of the images uploaded and edited.

The High Line and the High Water Line

Today I spent a quiet Sunday chalking the line through the West Village. I picked up where we left off yesterday, at West 10th and Washington, and traveled North to West 14th Street.

I went across a lot of cobbled streets and for the Northern part of the line, followed along the path of the High Line.

It was the last day in Manhattan, the last trip over the Brooklyn Bridge with the tricycle loaded with the chalker and chalk. Today was quieter than it has been in a while, no media, no entourage. It was a good way to finish the day, it is more like the line drawing is on most days. Me, the chalker and sometimes a friend or a photographer.

I passed some beautiful old buildings (Charles Lane is really something) and a lot of pretty fancy new developments. I also went through the Meat Packing District, which despite its dressing up over the past few years, still has plenty of reminders of a pretty gruesome past (including smells and toxic looking puddles). I ended, ironically? at a gas station on West 14th Street.

I was stopped by someone who knew about the project and just happened to run into me today. He had told his daughter about the project, so it was nice for her to get to see the chalk lines being made. We talked a little about the project and she, her friend and I looked at the maps together to see where we were and where the line was. I also gave them Action Packets which they would be able to take home and go through.

I also wanted to say thanks to the strangers that I have met along the way - there was the biker who past me twice yesterday (Saturday) and gave me encouragement on getting the load up the bridge (it can be a slow ride sometimes!), the street vendor who couldn’t believe that I was going to ride across the bridge with the load but gave words of praise and encouragement, and the random guy (maybe a tourist) who applauded for me as I pedaled up the bridge. It’s a long long project that I am working on, so those anonymous bits of encouragement along the way really help.  Of course special encouragement comes from both my friends who have come out and helped with the project (you guys help keep me going!) and all the people who have stopped to talk with me along the way.

Don’t worry there’s still a lot of project left to do! August 23rd I pick back up at Ocean Parkway, and that weekend will wind my way up to the Verazzano Bridge, I will also install the beacons in Drier Offerman Park on Sunday, August 25th. Just a reminder (since I haven’t mentioned it in a while) if you would like to support the project and help pay for materials, you can donate here.

Speaking of global issues

Saturday was an exciting day for the HWL project. After drawing the chalk line through the financial district, I was going to spend the day not walking and talking, but pretty much staying in one place and meeting the people passing through.

I was up early to load up the ZipCar with all of the beacons and equipment to install the illuminated beacons in Battery Park. After a number of people said I wouldn’t get a permit to install in the park, I got enthusiastic support from the Battery Park Conservancy and City Councilman Gerson’s office and was able to install the beacons and chalk the line through the park. (It’s a good thing too, since I was indeed asked for permit proof for the first time in the project).

I installed around 40 beacons from the Greenwich Street entrance down almost to the water. I chalked from the East entrance of the park all the way to the water and then back along to Greenwich Street, chalking in between the beacons.

This line was interesting in some of the things that lay below it. Not only was Clinton Castle on the other side of the line, but also the Staten Island Ferry Building, the Governor’s Island Ferry Building, the Whitehall Street subway station and the Battery Tunnel - that’s a lot of transportation infrastructure.

After setting up the beacons, filling them with water and capping them off, I did the chalking with the assistance of my friends Sky and Margo. We spoke to some ladies visiting New York from Wisconsin and Florida, a couple from Long Island who had brought some friends to the Statue of Liberty, and a gentleman from India who was visiting on business.

He was very interested in the project because he felt that Americans were very much talking about environmental issues in comparison with India. He said that despite the severe weather events which they have faced, and the potential massive devastation that could occur with climate change, there was not a public discussion around environmental issues. Instead the entire country was obsessed with growth, development and acquisition of wealth. It’s too bad that developing countries don’t look at America and instead of thinking “we want all that” think maybe, we want more, but we want it in a better less devastating way.

As the day wore on, the crowds in the park ebbed, and as the sun was setting the TF1 crew came out again to see the beacons in the park. I went along the line of beacons and lit all of the led’s at the bases.

The beacons lit into a glowing blue line of light. I have to admit, I was stunned with the beauty of them. It was such an interesting contrast with the rest of the project - most of the chalking is noisy, interactive, always moving. The beacons are quiet, still and contemplative. The few people left in the park were enjoying the serenity of the beacons in the park. A gentleman from New Jersey who was on a bike ride, stayed in the park for an hour or so and enjoyed walking around and photographing the beacons. I also got to talk to a local resident for some time who really liked the installation in the park and appreciated the site-specificity of the work and the message which it brought to a diverse crowd of people visiting the park.

I really enjoyed watching the transition of the park over the day. Early in the morning I spoke with a man who fishes off the walkway on the water and a man who has been feeding the squirrels for years, and all the squirrels come to sit on and around him. Then the vendors started setting up and the Statue of Liberty guys came in and got on their costumes - they are all short large men in those outfits! Then the crowds started coming in and the buskers showed up. There is an amazing amount of cooperation between the various factions that operate down there - it is all very professional and friendly - they help each other out, take turns entertaining or taking breaks, etc. As the day drew to a close, the tourists disappeared, a truck showed up and took away all the vendor carts and the illegal bag salesmen filed in. Then it all emptied out and the locals were able to enjoy the peace and quiet of a beautiful waterfront park. It was a long day, but endlessly fascinating.

Sorry about the fuzzy beacon images, both Jose & I didn’t think to bring a tripod!

Can you spare five minutes for the environment?

One of my favorite things that has been written about the project was written by Andy Goodman, of “good ideas for good causes.” He talks about the people on the street pleading for you to stop and give some time (and money) regarding any number of good causes, and then says “In one of America’s busiest cities, Mosher isn’t stopping people to talk about global warming. They’re stopping her.”

I put that to the test in Lower Manhattan this weekend.

I had myself sort of psyched up for the chalking from Brooklyn Bridge to Chambers street,where I would pass by South Street Seaport, Wall Street, through Battery Park and then past the World Trade Center site. I had in my mind that it would be a really different weekend, it would be the first really business heavy area, the first big tourist area, the WTC site, and the area with the highest security. All of that certainly made for an exciting weekend, but there is more. Let me tell you about it…

Friday I biked from home to the Canary Project studio, arriving at about 9:15am. I was met by a cameraman and sound guy from TF1, French news television. They were to follow me around for the day. They shot some stuff of me checking out the maps and loading up the trike (chalker, 50 pound bucket of chalk, misc locks, camera, my bag) and took some shots of Ed and I heading out. We rode to the gas station so that I could put some air in the chalker’s tires (it’s called the heavy hitter and it’s tires deflate bi-weekly). Then on the road again.

A little ways on the TF1 guys stopped me because they wanted to try a different shot. The cameraman wanted to ride on the front of the trike and film me while I pedaled along. I’m sorry, you want to do what? He wanted to sit on the heavy hitter and face me (with an enormous camera) and ride along. I, um, well I don’t know. He protested that he didn’t weigh much and it wouldn’t be for long, could we just try it out? Keep in mind that I am already pedaling about 100 pounds of weight on the trike, which is a single speed (no gears) with cruiser brakes (pedal brakes) and some super bouncy shocks (I feel everything).

Reluctantly I agreed - concerned more for his safety than for my ability to pedal it - so on he popped and off we went. Turns out the ol’ trike can make the weight not feel so bad. It was a little awkward to have to look around the huge camera in front of me, but all in all a pretty fun experience. At the end of the block the cameraman jumped off and off Ed and I went for the Brooklyn Bridge.

It can be a pretty slow slog up the long ramp on the bridge (although Ed said I “booked it” but I think that is a relative term - “booked it” compared to expectations not other bike speeds). The first couple of times that I rode over the bridge, I had to walk part of the way. Now I can make the whole ride up - not that it is easy or fast by any means. I get quite a lot of looks along the way as I pedal the trike across the bridge. Most in sheer wonderment - I don’t know if the looks are for the tricycle or for the chalker on the front (might be both). The bikers on the bridge are an interesting story too - I get about half that are totally wowed by the trike and think it is a hell of a thing, and about half who seem more annoyed than anything (I am after all like an SUV in the bike lane).

Ed and I met the TF1 guys at the Manhattan side archway on the bridge. First we did a shot of me riding down past the cameraman, then I had to ride back up again and down one more time since the sound guy was in the first shot. They were apologetic about making me ride uphill again, but at least it wasn’t a steep part, and I explained it wasn’t a big deal since I did this ride pretty frequently lately.

Then the cameraman again requested to ride on the front. I knew it would change the braking dynamics, but was willing to give it a try. Up again, perched on the chalker and off we went for the long downhill ride. Wasn’t too bad except for the crowds of tourists (which can make unexpected swerves and movements on the bridge) the swing of the heavy camera when he panned (the front of the bike can be squirelly) and the soreness in my leg from holding the brakes on…We looked a little like a super budget film crew or something.

At the base of the bridge the cameraman hopped off and we went on our ways (I have to take sometimes a much more circuitous route) to meet up again at Water Street and the south side of the Brooklyn Bridge. There we were also joined by Jose, who is doing some documenting of the project, and we had Megan from Canary Project, who met us on the bridge when Ed had to leave. I unloaded everything and locked up the trike, filled the hopper of the chalker with the 50 pounds of chalk, walked over to the bridge wall and started putting down the line.

It was pretty quiet on the north end of South Street Seaport, was able to just go along quietly chalking on the cobblestones. At the plaza where Fulton, Pearl and Water come together we started to see a lot more crowds - mixed bag of tourists and business people. And a traffic cop that I skirted around on my way across the busy plaza.

I wound my way through the forest of skyscrapers, marking chalk lines past construction sites and lines of hungry business people waiting in line for their lunch. While I got a few curious glances, most people were rushing to or from their lunch break. A few security guards gave some harsh words - not to me but to the people documenting - warnings about photographing the buildings. About halfway through and still no people interested in talking about what I am doing (what a contrast from the Brooklyn neighborhoods!)

The TF1 guys found someone who was asking about the project and corralled him over to talk to me about it. A block later and a young woman asked “What are you doing?” I came over to tell her about it, but when the cameras got close she shied away saying “I don’t want to be on camera I was just being nosy!” But she let them film as I explained the project and handed her and her workmate some Action Packets.

I talked to a number of the street vendors, they had more time to spend talking and asking questions. Most of them were from outside the area - one from Jersey, a couple from Queens - and they were interested in the larger impact of climate change and talked about their own experiences with flooding and storms and the changes they had notice climatically in their own areas. We finished the day chalking right up to the edge of Battery Park, where I would continue (on the other side of the construction) on Saturday.

More images of the bike ride coming soon from Canary Project…