Balance

[ atmospheric electronic music ]

♪ ♪

- I GET VERY POSSESSIVE OF MY PLACES,

AND I DON'T WANT ANY OTHER ARTISTS

COMING AROUND HERE AND MESSING AROUND

AND PAINTING MY PLACES.

I WANT IT TO MYSELF.

- I LIVE HERE IN THE COUNTRY, AND I SEE SUNLIGHT

AND GREAT CLOUD FORMATIONS

AND ALL KINDS OF STUFF ALL THE TIME,

BUT I'M NEVER AWARE OF ANY OF THAT

COMING INTO MY ART EVER.

- I VERY MUCH LIKE THE EXPERIENCE OF VIEWING

TO BE ONE OF DISCOVERY,

THAT YOU DON'T WALK IN, SOMETHING IS PRESENTED,

AND IT'S FRAMED, AND IT SAYS,

"THIS IS IMPORTANT; I'M ART."

♪ ♪

- I WAS DRIVING ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE,

AND THERE WAS THIS ENDLESSNESS IN TEXAS.

THERE'S ALMOST NOTHING.

IT IS DESERTS, AND THERE'S JUST A LITTLE BIT

OF SCRUBBY VEGETATION HERE AND THERE,

THEN SUDDENLY, IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS EMPTINESS,

WERE THESE PINK MOUNTAINS AROUND THE EDGE OF IT.

EVERY DIRECTION, THERE WERE THESE HILLS.

PERCHED AROUND IN THIS EMPTY LANDSCAPE

WERE THESE TINY LITTLE STRUCTURES

MADE OUT OF PIPE WITH CORRUGATED ROOFS ON THEM.

OF COURSE, IN THE DESERT,

SHADE IS THE MOST PRICELESS THING YOU CAN GET,

SHADE AND WATER.

TOOK ME AN HOUR OR SO

TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS A RACETRACK,

AND SO THESE CORRUGATED ROOFS,

THEY WERE SHELTERS FOR THE HORSES.

THERE WAS A JUDGE'S TOWER,

AND THEN THERE WERE TWO SPECTATOR SHELTERS.

I WAS FASCINATED BY THESE LOVELY LITTLE AIRY STRUCTURES

WHICH LIVED SO LIGHTLY ON THIS EARTH.

AND I ENDED UP MAKING

FIVE DRAWINGS THAT REALLY INTERESTED ME.

ONE OF THEM I NEVER PAINTED,

BUT I MADE FOUR LARGE PAINTINGS THAT WENT TOGETHER.

THEY WERE ALL THE SAME HEIGHT.

TWO WINTERS, I SPENT ON THOSE FOUR PAINTINGS.

I WAS INTERESTED IN SPARSENESS AND EXTREME CLARITY.

EACH THING WAS DIFFERENT.

MOUNTAINS WERE PINK.

THE STRUCTURES WERE SILVERY WHITE.

THE DESERT FLOOR WAS A SANDY éLOW.

I ACTUALLY WENT OUT AND BOUGHT SOME NEW TUBES OF PAINT.

I FIRST CAME OUT TO MARFA BECAUSE OF THE MOUNTAINS.

I HAD BEEN PAINTING FOR MANY YEARS

IN NEW JERSEY, WHICH IS FLAT,

AND THE TEXAS COAST NEAR GALVESTON AND HIGH ISLAND

AND BEAUMONT, ALL FLAT AS COULD BE.

I'D BEEN TO UTAH.

I'D BEEN AND SEEN THESE MAGNIFICENT MOUNTAINS.

AND THESE WEREN'T MAGNIFICENT, AND I LIKED THAT ABOUT THEM.

IN THE MEANTIME, OF COURSE,

I CAME OUT HERE AND PAINTED JUDD'S BUILDINGS

INSTEAD OF THE MOUNTAINS.

THOSE TWO BUILDINGS THERE

STANDING IN THE PRAIRIE LIKE THAT

WITHOUT THEIR OTHER TEN,

THOSE SITES WERE A LITTLE BIT LIKE

RUINS AND CONSTRUCTION SITES BOTH AT ONCE

BECAUSE THEY WERE ABANDONED CONSTRUCTION SITES.

I WAS FASCINATED BY THOSE THINGS.

THEY WEREN'T SHAPES OUR CULTURE TEACHES US

THAT BUILDINGS SHOULD BE IN.

AND THEN I CAME DOWN TO PRESIDIO

AND IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED TO THOSE SAND HILLS UP THERE.

THEY'RE NOT CLASSIC MOUNTAINS AT ALL.

THEY'RE VERY ODD.

YOU'VE GOT HEIGHT, AND YOU'VE GOT DEPTH.

LOOKING DOWN AND LOOKING UP ARE REAL IDEAS IN PAINTING,

AND THEY'RE VERY DIFFERENT FROM PAINTING ON THE FLATSCAPE

OR PAINTING ON THE LEVEL GROUND.

I WAS ASTONISHED AT THE DRAMA OF THE LIGHT

AS IT MOVED AROUND THOSE FORMS

AND THE WAY THOSE SHADOWS WERE, FIRST ON ONE SIDE

AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LATE AFTERNOON,

TOTALLY DIFFERENT.

IT'S NOT MY DRAMA.

IT'S A DRAMA OF THE SUN

MAKING THIS EFFECT ON THAT MOUNTAIN.

I WANT TO KEEP MY EMOTIONS OUT OF IT.

MY EMOTIONS SHOULD BE

THE EMOTION OF RESPECT FOR THAT FORM,

ALMOST REVERENCE.

I GO OVER THAT SAME LITTLE SHADOW

OVER AND OVER AGAIN TILL I GET THAT SHAPE.

IT HAS A CHARACTER.

IT HAS SOME KIND OF LITTLE CURLICUE THERE

WHERE THAT ROCK STICKS UP,

AND YOU'VE GOT TO GET THAT CURLICUE,

AND YOU'RE NOT SATISFIED TILL YOU GET IT.

THERE'S A RAPPORT BETWEEN MY IMAGE

AND THAT REAL THING OUT THERE.

THEY ANSWER TO ONE ANOTHER.

I GET VERY POSSESSIVE OF MY PLACES,

AND I DON'T WANT ANY OTHER ARTISTS

COMING AROUND HERE AND MESSING AROUND

AND PAINTING MY PLACES,

OR PHOTOGRAPHERS

OR ANY OTHER KIND OF IMAGE MAKER.

I WANT IT TO MYSELF.

AS YOU STAY THERE LONGER, YOU DISCOVER MORE.

YOU ARE CONSTANTLY LEARNING FROM THE SITE YOU'VE CHOSEN,

AND I OFTEN FEEL THAT I COULD GO ON

WORKING ON A PAINTING ALMOST INDEFINITELY.

TOWARDS THE END OF A PAINTING, YOU BEGIN TO LOOK AROUND.

YOU SAY, "NOW, I WONDER WHY I DIDN'T STAND OVER THERE,"

OR "WHY DID I STAND IN POINT 'A' INSTEAD OF POINT 'B'?"

[ laughs ] AND YOU THINK,

"THAT WOULD HAVE MADE A TERRIFIC ONE TOO

"FROM OVER HERE,

"BUT I'VE KIND OF I'M DONE HERE.

I'M FINISHED.

I WANT TO MOVE ON."

WHEN I LEFT MAINE, IT WAS AN EMOTION

VERY MUCH LIKE THAT THAT'S MADE ME DO IT.

I WAS PAINTING A LINE OF HILLS, AND MY HAND SAID TO ME,

"GET OUT OF HERE.

"DON'T DO THIS ANYMORE.

"YOU'VE MADE THAT LINE OF HILLS SO MANY TIMES.

YOU NEED TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE."

AND I PUT MY HOUSE UP FOR SALE THAT DAY.

WELL, ONE OF MY FAVORITE WRITERS ON PAINTING

SAID THAT A LANDSCAPE ARTIST

SEEMS TO HAVE TO MOVE TO A NEW LOCATION

IN ORDER TO REINVENT HIMSELF,

AND I THINK THERE'S SOME TRUTH THERE.

I DON'T THINK OF MYSELF AS BEING A LANDSCAPE PAINTER.

IN THE POPULAR ENVISIONING OF THAT TERM,

A LANDSCAPE CONSISTS OF A PAINTING WITH A FLD

AND A POND AND A TREE AND A MOUNTAIN IN THE DISTANCE,

ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

IT'S A SORT OF RECIPE THING.

I HOPE VERY MUCH THAT MY PAINTINGS

DON'T LOOK LIKE RECIPE PAINTINGS,

THAT I'VE GONE TO OTHER PLACES AND SEEN SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

I LIKE TO SAY I PAINT MY ENVIRONMENT,

MY SURROUNDINGS.

IT GIVES YOU THE IDEA

THAT IT IS A PHYSICAL THING THAT SURROUNDS YOU,

AND IT DOES.

IT TAKES IT IMMEDIATELY AWAY

FROM THE FLAT PLANE IMAGE OF THE WORLD.

SURROUNDINGS IMPLIES THAT THE LANDSCAPE

DOES REALLY CURVE AROUND YOU,

BECAUSE I FOLLOW THE CURVE THAT I SEE THE CURVE

ALSO EXPRESSED THIS WAY ON THE CANVAS.

AND IF YOU'RE STANDING ON A HIGH HILL,

AND YOU LOOK AT A STRAIGHT ROAD DOWN HERE

IN THE FOREGROUND OF YOUR PAINTING DOWN BELOW,

IT'LL TEND TO CURVE UP LIKE THIS,

AND THE HORIZON WILL CURVE DOWN LIKE THIS,

SO YOU GET THIS SORT OF ALMOND-SHAPED COMPOSITION

THAT DOES REPEAT ITSELF IN MY PAINTINGS.

THAT WHOLE IDEA OF THE WANDERING EYE

POPPED INTO MY HEAD BACK THEN,

THAT YOU DON'T SEE AN IMAGE ALL AT ONCE.

YOU SEE IT PART BY PART.

IT UNFOLDS.

THE FIRST PAINTING I DID LIKE THAT

WAS OF THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

BEFORE THEY BUILT THE BIG DOME THERE.

I THOUGHT, "IF I STAND HERE

"AND PAINT THAT MARVELOUS THING THERE

"AGAINST THE LIGHT,

"YOU CAN'T SEE THAT IT'S RED, REALLY.

IT JUST IS A DARKNESS.

YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS."

AND THEN I LOOKED TO THE LEFT AND DOWN THE STREET,

81ST STREET, I THINK,

AND THEN DOWN THE AVENUE, WHICH IS COLUMBUS, MAYBE.

I'M TURNING MY HEAD NEARLY 180 DEGREES

SO THAT YOU REALLY HAVE GONE A LONG WAY.

YOU'VE GONE THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH THE BUILDING,

AND YOU'VE ARRIVED AT THIS VISTA,

AND THEN YOU'VE ARRIVED AT THE OPPOSITE VISTA

IN THE OTHER END OF THE PAINTING.

PERSPECTIVE IS NOT WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN.

THAT IS FOR SURE.

I WENT OUT INTO THE LANDSCAPE AND STARTED WORKING,

BOOM, JUST AS THOUGH I WERE AN ABSTRACT PAINTER,

AND I DIDN'T START OUT WITH THE IDEA,

"WELL, YOU KNOW, YOUR VANISHING POINT IS HERE,

AND YOUR FLANKING TREES ARE HERE AND HERE."

I DIDN'T CONSTRUCT IT LIKE THAT AT ALL.

I BEGAN TO FIND THAT THINGS THAT PERSPECTIVE TOLD ME

DIDN'T SEEM TO BE TRUE TO MY EYES,

AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT IS TRUE TO MY EYES.

I'M NOT AS SURE IT'S SOMETHING

THAT I CAN REALLY ASCERTAIN OR WRITE DOWN,

BUT I KNOW THAT EVERYTHING CHANGES

AS YOU MAKE THE MINUTEST MOVEMENT IN YOUR HEAD

AND STILL MORE WHEN YOU TURN YOUR SHOULDERS.

THERE IS NO SOLUTION

TO THE REPRESENTATION OF THE WORLD.

AS SOON AS YOU TAKE A THREE-DIMENSIONAL WORLD

IN WHICH THERE IS MOVEMENT

AND PLACE IT ON A TWO-DIMENSIONAL SURFACE,

YOU MOVE INTO THE WORLD OF METAPHOR, INEVITABLY,

AND PERSPECTIVE IS AN ATTEMPT TO STANDARDIZE

THE METAPHOR OF THE DEPICTION OF SPACE.

THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE THESE PROBLEMS, THOUGH,

ARE OF COURSE THE REASON THAT MAKES YOU WANT TO GO OUT

AND DO IT AGAIN.

IT'S ALWAYS ALIVE, AND I DON'T WANT SOLUTIONS.

THAT WOULD NOT BE INTERESTING TO ME.

THE PROCESS ITSELF IS AN UNSOLVED PROBLEM,

AND IT ALWAYS WILL BE.

[ chuckles ]

MY FIRST TRIP DOWN HERE,

I PASSED A LITTLE GROUP OF BEEHIVES,

AND I LIKED THE WAY THEY WERE GROUPED

IN THIS BIG EMPTY LANDSCAPE.

I JUST PUT THOSE BEEHIVES IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD,

AND I WAS DOWN ON THE RIO GRANDE

DRAWING A WATER GAUGE MEASURING STATION,

AND A MAN CAME UP AND STOOD BEHIND ME

AND WATCHED ME DRAW FOR A LITTLE BIT.

I TURNED AROUND, AND I SAID,

"EXCUSE ME, BUT YOU DON'T HAPPEN TO KNOW

"WHO OWNS THOSE BEEHIVES UP THE CASA PIEDRA ROAD,

DO YOU, BY CHANCE?"

HE SAID, "YES.

I DO."

WHEN THE SNOW STARTS TO FLY UP IN COLORADO,

HE BRINGS THOSE BEES DOWN HERE TO THE RIO GRANDE

AND SETS THEM UP IN THESE SMALL GROUPS.

I HAD ABOUT SIX DRAWINGS OF BEEHIVES

I MADE ALL IN ONE DAY.

AND I LOOKED AT THEM, AND I THOUGHT,

"YOU KNOW, THEY ARE KIND OF FUN.

THEY REALLY ARE."

AND I STARTED COMING BACK DOWN IN NOVEMBER

SO THAT I WOULD HAVE LONGER TIME

WITH THE BEEHIVES STILL THERE.

HE GOT HERE LATE ONE YEAR.

HE PUT THEM ALL IN THESE ENORMOUS YARDS,

ONE IN FRONT OF A LITTLE MOUNTAIN

ON THE SIDE OF THE RIO GRANDE

AND ONE OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PLAIN

TOWARDS CANDELARIA.

SO I SAID, "ALL RIGHT.

I'M GONNA WORK WITH THESE TWO SITES."

AND THERE WERE ALL THESE HUNDREDS OF BEEHIVES,

AND I GOT GOING ON THEM,

AND I GOT THE STRETCHERS BUILT AND EVERYTHING.

I SAID, "I'LL NEVER FINISH THIS BEFORE HE MOVES THEM AWAY,

SO I'M GONNA TAKE THESE SKETCHES,"

WHICH WERE OIL SKETCHES FOR THE BIG CANVASES,

FINISHED THE SKETCHES UP LIKE HIGHLY FINISHED PAINTINGS.

SO I ENDED UP WITH THOSE TWO RATHER SMALL PAINTINGS

OF MANY, MANY, MANY, MANY BEEHIVES.

I PAINTED A POWER PLANT GENERATING STATION

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PRAIRIE,

AND I WAS STRUCK BY THIS ENORMOUS LUMP

SITTING IN THIS ENORMOUS FLATSCAPE

IN WHICH NOTHING HAPPENED.

THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY MILES AND MILES AND MILES OF NOTHING.

[ laughs ] AND I THOUGHT IT WAS WONDERFUL.

NOW, THAT WAS A STRUCTURAL JUXTAPOSITION

OF TWO DISPARATE THINGS SITTING THERE,

AND THAT COULD MAKE A PAINTING.

AS I WORKED ON THAT THING,

A LOT OF DETAIL OF THAT POWER PLANT

AND FENCE LINES AND DITCHES AND ROADS

CAME INTO THE PAINTING BUT VERY MINUTELY.

THE MAIN IMPACT OF THAT PAINTING IS THIS HUGE LUMP

SITTING ON THIS EMPTY TABLETOP OF PRAIRIE.

AS YOU PAINT, YOU'RE EXPLORING.

"WHAT IS THE STRUCTURE?

WHAT IS THE INTEREST HERE?"

YOU GO TO A PLACE,

AND YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO IT FOR REASON "A,"

BUT ONCE YOU START PAINTING, REASON "A" DISAPPEARS.

SOME FACTORY WORKERS ARE OUT HAVING A GOOD TIME

IN THE EVENING PLAYING SOFTBALL.

IT'S THE GIRLS' TEAM TONIGHT,

AND YOU SAY, "THIS IS KIND OF NICE.

"THIS IS GOOD THAT THESE PEOPLE

ARE GETTING OUT AND HAVING A GOOD TIME."

THAT'S THE REASON YOU START,

AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE BECOMES IMPORTANT.

HOW LONG SHOULD THE SHADOWS BE

OF THIS TREE IN THE LATE AFTERNOON?

HOW DO YOU GET THE SCALE OF THESE BUILDINGS AROUND HERE

TO WORK WITH THE SCALE OF THE FIGURES?

BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.

ALL THESE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS COME IN,

AND THAT INITIAL IDEA IS COMPLETELY LOST AND FORGOTTEN,

AND YOU'RE INVOLVED WITH OTHER THINGS.

YOU'RE INVOLVED WITH THE SOFTNESS OF LIGHT

ON THE TALL GRASS AND THE WAY IT CHANGES

WHEN IT GETS TO THE MOWN AREA OF THE GRASS.

WHY IS IT DOING THAT,

AND HOW DO YOU EXPRESS THAT IN THE MOVEMENT OF YOUR BRUSH?

ALL THESE OTHER THINGS BECOME IMPORTANT TO YOU,

AND THAT OLD THEME,

THAT LITERARY THEME THAT FIRST ATTRACTED YOU IS FINISHED.

IT'S GONE.

I'M INTERESTED IN BIG OPEN SPACES WHICH ARE EMPTY,

EMPTINESS, LIKE THE EMPTINESS OF THE RACETRACK AREA THERE

WITH THOSE SPARSE SCATTER OF BUILDINGS.

AND THEN THE MARVELOUS MARKINGS ON THE FLOOR

IN THE ARENA THAT JUDD DISCOVERED,

THAT'S LIKE THE TRACKS ON THE RACETRACK.

I HAD FIRST GOT INTERESTED IN THOSE MARKINGS

ON THE FLOOR IN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER.

WHEN I PAINTED, THAT FLOORING HAD ALL BEEN RIPPED UP

'CAUSE THEY WERE VACATED SPACES.

ON THAT FLOOR, YOU SAW ALL THESE WONDERFUL SCRATCHES

AND MARKINGS AND STAINS.

THE HISTORY OF THAT FLOOR

IS JUST WRITTEN VERY RICHLY ALL OVER THERE,

AND I LIKE THAT HISTORY.

THAT'S WHAT I MEAN BY SAYING

"REVERENCE" FOR THINGS OUT THERE.

SOMETHING AS ANONYMOUS AND MINUTE IN A SENSE

AND INCONSEQUENTIAL AS A SCRATCH IS SOMETHING.

IT'S A REAL THING.

IT'S LIKE YOU AND I.

IT'S A PERSONALITY.

[ chuckles ]

IT LOOKS EMPTY, BUT IT REALLY I SEE FULLNESS THERE.

YES.

AND I'D LIKE YOU TO SEE THAT FULLNESS TOO IN MY PAINTING.

♪ ♪

[ birds chirping ]

- THE THING THAT BEGAN TO FASCINATE ME ABOUT PAINTING

WAS THAT IT DIDN'T DEAL WITH TIME

IN THE SENSE THAT ALMOST EVERY OTHER MEDIUM DOES.

YOU COULD TAKE OUT A CAMERA

AND TAKE A PICTURE OF A PAINTING,

AND YOU'D HAVE IT ALL THERE.

YOU CAN'T DO THAT WITH ALMOST ANYTHING ELSE.

IF YOU COME INTO A SCULPTURE GALLERY,

YOU CAN WALK AROUND A SCULPTURE

BEFORE YOU HAVE TO COME TO AN OPINION.

PAINTING DOESN'T GIVE YOU ANY OF THAT TIME.

IT PLANTS ITSELF IN FRONT OF YOU

AND SAYS, "HERE I AM."

PLUNK.

YOU KNOW, YOU GET IN FRONT OF IT.

YOU LOOK AT IT.

YOU'VE SEEN IT.

I LIVE HERE IN THE COUNTRY, AND I SEE WONDERFUL SUNLIGHT

AND GREAT CLOUD FORMATIONS

AND ALL KINDS OF STUFF ALL THE TIME,

FLDS THAT ARE COVERED WITH A CERTAIN éLOW FLOWER

AT ONE MOMENT,

BUT I'M NEVER AWARE OF ANY OF THAT

COMING INTO MY ART EVER.

IT MAY, BUT IT DOESN'T COME IN ANY DIRECT WAY.

RATHER THAN MY INFLUENCE COMING FROM NATURE,

IT COMES FROM CULTURE:

THE CULTURE THAT COMES FROM THE HISTORY OF ART

AND THE CULTURE OF OUR TIMES.

I DO A LOT OF WORKS ON PAPER

BUILDING UP TO THE IDEA OF WORK ON CANVAS.

I WANT TO SEE HOW SOMETHING'S GONNA LOOK,

SO IF IT PRESENTS ME WITH A VISUAL STRUCTURE

THAT'S A LITTLE OFF FROM WHAT I'VE DONE IN THE PAST,

THEN THAT GETS MY CURIOSITY MORE INTERESTED.

THIS IS KIND OF LIKE JUGGLING AN IDEA

AND GOING FROM YOU DO ONE,

AND THEN YOU GO, AND YOU SAY, "OKAY, THAT'S INTERESTING,

BUT WHAT IF I DID IT THIS WAY?"

OR SOMETHING,

SO THEY'RE REALLY ALL TRYOUTS.

IN SOME CASES, ONE IDEA FOLLOWS ANOTHER,

AND IN SOME CASES, IT DOESN'T.

WHEN I GET TO ONE THAT REALLY INTERESTS ME,

LIKE THIS ONE, I THINK, REALLY INTERESTED ME,

AND SO I THOUGHT, "OKAY, I'M GONNA DO A LARGER ONE OF THAT."

I LIKED THE WAY THE LINES HUNG FROM THE DIAGONAL.

SO THEN I DO IT WITH COLOR

SO THAT I CAN GET A SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF IT WERE DONE THAT WAY.

I ENDED UP NOT BEING SO CRAZY ABOUT IT IN THE END

BECAUSE I DIDN'T LIKE THIS BIG DROOPY CURVE.

AS A YOUNG ARTIST, I WAS VERY CONNECTED

TO WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THE MOMENT IN NEW YORK,

THE LATTER PART OF ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM,

POP ART, WHICH HAD JUST ARRIVED.

IT WAS A TIME TO START OVER,

GO BACK TO THE ELEMENTS OF PAINTING.

IT WAS ALL PART OF WHAT LATER BECAME MINIMALISM.

IT WAS ALL A KIND OF A SEEMINGLY SIMPLE, SINGLE IDEA

EXPOSED IN A RAW WAY FOR PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE,

AND IT WAS REFRESHING

AND GOT RID OF A LOT OF STUFF THAT NEEDED GETTING RID OF

SO THAT YOU COULD BEGIN START THINGS OVER.

MAYBE ALL GENERATIONS FEEL LIKE

THEY'RE STARTING THINGS OVER FOR THEMSELVES,

BUT THIS WAS REALLY, I THINK,

A PERIOD WHEN IT WAS CERTAINLY TRUE.

I GOT THIS INVITATION TO THE BARNETT NEWMAN SHOW

IN PHILADELPHIA.

ON THE INVITATION CARD WAS THIS VERTICAL PCE OF HIS.

ALMOST ALL OF MY WORK

HAD BEEN HORIZONTALLY LEFT- TO RIGHT-READING ART.

I SUDDENLY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTING

TO WORK ON A VERTICAL PAINTING THAT YOU CAN'T READ THAT WAY.

IT'S MY THWARTING THE VIEWER KIND OF IDEA,

ME, THE VIEWER.

YOU CAN'T READ A VERTICAL PAINTING

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT,

SO THEN HOW DO YOU READ IT?

DO YOU GO UP AND DOWN OR I DON'T KNOW.

IT WAS JUST A KIND OF SENSE, LIKE,

IT WAS SOMETHING I WANTED TO DEAL WITH.

IT'S NOT SO IMPORTANT THAT I GET THE COLOR JUST RIGHT HERE

BECAUSE ALMOST ANYTHING WOULD DO SO THAT I COULD SEE THE WORK,

AND THEN I CAN DECIDE LATER IF I WANT TO CHANGE THE COLOR.

IF YOU THINK OF THE RINGS AS BEING TWO CONNECTED COLUMNS,

I'M STILL WORKING OFF THAT IN A WAY,

ONLY NOW I'VE BROUGHT THEM BACK INTO A COMPLETED FORM,

TWO VERTICAL LINES GOING UP.

YOU HAVE THEM BENT INTO A WHEEL.

GET A LITTLE FRESH AIR.

[ exhales sharply ]

OKAY.

GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK.

THERE WAS A GROUP OF US WHO HAD STUDIOS NEAR THE BOWERY.

SYLVIA AND I WERE IN A BUILDING

THAT BOB RYMAN WAS IN, LUCY LIPPARD.

SOL LEWITT WAS AROUND THE CORNER;

EVA HESSE, ACROSS THE STREET.

SO WE WOULD ALL VISIT EACH OTHER'S STUDIOS.

THERE WAS A LOT OF ACTION THERE.

THERE WERE PEOPLE DOING VIDEOS.

THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WERE PERFORMING DANCE,

MAKING HAPPENINGS OF ONE KIND OR ANOTHER.

IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE TIME IN THE VISUAL ART SCENE.

THERE WAS SOMETHING EXCITING GOING ON ALL THE TIME,

AND IT WAS CONTAGIOUS.

I LOVED BEING IN NEW YORK CITY.

I LOVED THE INDUSTRIAL QUALITY OF IT.

I LOVED LOWER MANHATTAN.

THERE WAS JUST A QUALITY OF BEING THERE AND THE SOUNDS.

I WAS VERY ROMANTICALLY IN LOVE WITH NEW YORK AT THAT POINT.

YEAH, I MIGHT HAVE TO MAKE THE LINE A LITTLE STRONGER.

WHETHER YOU RIDE A BUS OR A CAB OR SUBWAY OR WHATEVER,

YOU SEE EVERYTHING IN BITS AND PCES.

YOU SEE EVERYTHING IN PARTS.

YOU'D SEE BUILDINGS GOING BY,

AND YOU'D SEE GAPS BETWEEN BUILDINGS GOING BY,

AND I BECAME VERY INTERESTED IN THIS IDEA

OF PCES OF ARCHITECTURE

THAT WERE BOTH SOLID AND THAT WERE ATMOSPHERIC

AND THE IDEA THAT A SIMILAR FORM...

GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY.

ONE WAY COULD BE A GAP BETWEEN A BUILDING

AND ON ANOTHER WAY COULD BE A BUILDING.

I LIKE SETTING UP PROBLEMS FOR THE VIEWER

AND THAT VIEWER ISN'T SOMEONE DETACHED FROM ME.

I'M THE VIEWER.

I'M THE FIRST VIEWER.

I LIKE SETTING UP PROBLEMS

LIKE HOW DO YOU VISUALLY DEAL WITH A RING

WHEN WHAT'S USUALLY IN THE CENTER OF A PAINTING

IS VERY IMPORTANT?

IT WAS THE IDEA OF WHAT WAS MISSING

THAT'S IN A LOT OF MY WORK.

IT KEEPS COMING BACK IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER.

BY TAKING AWAY THE CENTER,

THAT FORCES THAT VIEWING A STEP FURTHER.

IT'S LIKE THE MAIN COURSE ISN'T THERE,

AND YOU'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH EVERYTHING ROUND

WHAT WOULD NORMALLY BE THE MAIN COURSE.

YEAH, THAT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD.

[ machinery droning ]

YEAH, THE REFLECTED LIGHT IS PRETTY GOOD HERE.

I THINK IT'S ALL RIGHT.

I WAS APPROACHED ABOUT DOING SOMETHING

FOR THE BUFFALO COURTHOUSE.

THE ONLY REASON I CONSIDERED IT WAS, I COME FROM THAT AREA.

MOST OF MY CHILDHOOD,

WE LIVED IN RELATION TO THE ERIE CANAL.

INSTEAD OF HAVING THE RAILROAD,

THE BARGE CANAL WITH THE TUGBOATS

WAS A ROMANTIC ALLUSION I GUESS.

I LIVED SO FAR IN THE COUNTRY.

MY UNCLES WERE ALL FARMERS, AND I WORKED FOR THEM.

I WAS PUSHED INTO BEING AN ARTIST BY TEACHERS.

I LIKED TO DRAW, SO THE IDEA OF ART SCHOOL SEEMED FINE.

AT THAT POINT, MY IDEA OF ART SCHOOL

WAS PROBABLY NORMAN ROCKWELL SATURDAY EVENING POSTCOVERS.

I DON'T THINK I KNEW

THAT THERE WERE CONTEMPORARY PAINTERS.

I WENT AWAY TO ART SCHOOL, AND I CHOSE CLEVELAND.

IT SEEMED LIKE A LITTLE ART FACTORY.

THERE WERE PEOPLE MAKING WEAVING AND PEOPLE MAKING JEWELRY

AND DOING PAINTINGS AND ILLUSTRATION,

SO I THOUGHT, "THIS LOOKS GOOD TO ME."

SO THE ENTRANCE IS OVER THERE.

THAT'S THE MAIN ENTRANCE.

- RIGHT, PEOPLE PEOPLE COME IN THIS WAY,

AND THEN THEY TURN THAT WAY TO GO INTO THE COURTHOUSE,

OR THEY CAN COME

- THE BUILDING WASN'T BUILT YET.

I JUST HAD PLANS IN FRONT OF ME.

IT'S LIKE WORKING BLIND.

FOR SOMEONE WHO LIKES TO HAVE

MORE CONTROL OVER WHAT HE'S DOING,

IT'S LIKE TAKING A CHANCE ON SOMETHING.

IT'S TRICKY.

MY IDEA WAS THAT

IF THIS WALL BECAME A TRANSITION

BETWEEN THIS ENTRYWAY AND THE COURTHOUSE ITSELF,

WHICH WAS VERY FORMIDABLE AND VERY BIG,

IF, IN FACT, THIS WALL COULD BECOME A REALLY BEAUTIFUL THING,

IT WOULD BE A NICE EXPERIENCE

GOING FROM THE ONE BUILDING TO THE OTHER.

I'M NOT A PERSON WHO DOES STAINED GLASS A LOT.

IT'S KIND OF TRICKY

UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH LIGHT

IN A WAY THAT IS TOTALLY DEPENDENT

ON THE WORLD YOU'RE SITUATED IN

AND THE TIME OF YEAR AND THE TIME OF DAY AND SO ON.

IT SEEMED LIKE AN AREA THAT WOULD REALLY WORK OUT

FOR THESE TALL COLUMN IDEAS

THAT I WAS WORKING ON AT THAT TIME.

IT WAS A CONTINUATION OF WHAT I WAS DOING

IN MY PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS OF 2004 WHEN THIS ALL BEGAN.

I WANTED THIS TO BE BOTH INSIDE THE PAVILION

AND OUTSIDE THE PAVILION,

A KIND OF HUMANIST SENSE OF COLOR AND LIGHT

THAT WOULD BE...

BEAUTIFUL, YOU KNOW?

IT WOULD BE BEAUTIFUL.

THE SHOW WAS COMPOSED OF RING IMAGES

AND SPLIT RING IMAGES.

MY TITLES ARE ALWAYS REDIRECTED INTO THE PAINTING,

LIKE SQUARE WITHIN A CIRCLE.

THE REASON I DON'T TITLE THEM SOMETHING MORE POINTED

IS THAT I WOULD RATHER LEAVE THAT BOOK OPEN.

THE MAJORITY OF MY PAINTINGS HAVE DEALT WITH

THE CURVING LINE, THE ELLIPTICAL LINE,

THE OVOID, THE CIRCLE IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

IT'S THE SAME ELEMENTS JUGGLED IN A MORE COMPLICATED WAY.

IT'S LIKE THE COLUMN PAINTINGS LED TO THE RING PAINTINGS.

THE RING PAINTINGS HAVE KIND OF LED ME TO THIS.

IT'S A WAY OF TAKING THE IDEA ANOTHER PLACE

AND SEEING WHAT'LL HAPPEN.

I'M A ROMANTIC ARTIST,

AND I THINK ROMANTICISM BY NATURE IMPLIES SOMETHING

THAT TAKES IT BEYOND A FORMAL IDEA.

SOMETIMES, I THINK, "OH, BOB.

YOU'RE JUST A DAMN FORMALIST."

BUT THEN THERE ARE OTHER TIMES

WHEN I ARGUE WITH MYSELF ABOUT THAT.

♪ ♪

- THIS IS A PROJECT I'M WORKING ON

FOR THE HIGH LINE.

IT WAS SCHEDULED TO BE DEMOLITIONED.

PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ENDED UP SUING THE CITY

TO KEEP IT AND MAKE IT A PARK.

I REALLY LIKE THIS IDEA THAT NATURAL WILDLIFE

SURVIVES IN THIS INTENSE METROPOLIS.

THEY DIDN'T CHANGE THE SPACE THAT MUCH.

THEY REALLY JUST FRAMED THE WILDLIFE

THAT GREW THERE NATURALLY OVER THE YEARS.

THE PCE THAT I CONCEIVED WAS A KIND OF HABITAT.

YOU HAVE ALL OF THESE BIRDS, BUTTERFLIES, INSECTS THERE,

AND I WANTED TO MAKE A LOCATION

WHERE YOU WOULD OBSERVE THEM ON THE HIGH LINE.

I DID TONS OF RESEARCH.

THE PLACE THAT I REALLY LIKED WORKING WITH

IS THE CORNELL ORNITHOLOGY LAB.

THEY DO THESE INCREDIBLE URBAN WILDLIFE PROJECTS,

AND THEY WERE REALLY HELPFUL

TO TALK ABOUT HOW THIS WOULD WORK

AND WHAT WOULD COME TO IT, WHAT MIGHT NOT COME TO IT.

THEY'RE REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT

HOW TO GET SOMEONE TO LOOK AND OBSERVE FOR TEN MINUTES,

AND THEY HAD SAID, YOU KNOW, "TEN MINUTES OF OBSERVATION

IS AN INCREDIBLY LONG TIME FOR A PERSON,"

AND THIS IDEA OF SLOWING DOWN AND REALLY OBSERVING,

I THINK IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING IDEA

ALSO FOR VISUAL ART.

WE'RE DEALING WITH NATURE.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.

WILL THE BIRDS NEST THERE, OR WILL THEY NOT?

LET'S SAY NOTHING HAPPENS.

IT NEEDED TO BE INTERESTING AS A SCULPTURE.

THE THING THAT MADE ME INTERESTED IN THE PCE

AS A SCULPTURE WAS THIS IDEA

THAT I'M GONNA PUT THE SCULPTURE IN A LOCATION

WHERE YOU HAVE TO WALK THROUGH IT.

THE WALK ITSELF BECOMES LIKE A NEGATIVE SPACE

IN THE SCULPTURE AND THAT YOU HAVE THIS

THIS VERY DYNAMIC EXPERIENCE OF IT,

AND THAT YOU SEE IT FROM FAR AWAY,

AND THEN IN PERSPECTIVE, IT GROWS,

AND THEN YOU ACTUALLY ARE IN THE INTERIOR OF IT,

AND THEN YOU EXIT.

I THINK THE HIGH LINE IS VERY BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED.

THERE ARE ALL THESE DIFFERENT AREAS

WHERE YOU CAN STOP AND LOOK, AND IT FRAMES THE CITY.

AND I WAS THINKING IT SHOULD BE METAL

LIKE IT'S LIKE A LITTLE IT'S ALMOST LIKE A PETRI DISH.

THIS IS A ONE-TO-ONE SCALE MODEL OF WHAT I'LL HAVE FABRICATED.

I'D LIKE TO HAVE THE PCES FEEL AS IF THEY'RE PUT TOGETHER

INTUITIVELY BY HAND IN THE MOMENT,

SO IT WAS IMPORTANT TO BUILD SOMETHING IN THE STUDIO

WHERE I COULD START FEELING, "THIS NEEDS TO BE MORE DENSE,

THE SIZE NEED TO GROW," AND PLAY AROU

HAVE THE IDEA OF PLAY AND FLEXIBILITY IN THE MAKING.

ONE THING THAT WAS INTERESTING ABOUT THIS PROJECT FOR ME

WAS THAT IT WAS VERY HARD TO DRAW.

I DID ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THIS IDEA

OF BEING SPLIT DOWN THE CENTER,

TO FIGURE OUT IN SPACE HOW THIS WOULD WORK

BECAUSE THE PROMENADE CUTS THE PCE IN HALF,

AND THIS IS THE ONE THAT I CHOSE,

PARTIALLY BECAUSE IT HAS

THIS SPIRALING UP THAT'S SURPRISING.

THERE'S A BALL THAT ACTUALLY FITS.

YOU CAN USE THIS.

THE NEGATIVE SPACE IS ACTUALLY ROUND,

AND YOU DON'T REALLY REALIZE IT UNTIL YOU GET INTO IT,

SO IT WAS BUILT AROUND A BALL.

THIS IS A REALLY SIMPLE JIG TO ACTUALLY FIGURE OUT

A VERY COMPLEX EQUATION,

WHICH IS HOW DOES HOW DOES THIS NEG

IF WE WANT TO CARVE OUT A BALL, HOW DO YOU DO IT?

SO THIS IS JUST THIS IS JUST THE RADIUS,

BUT IT'S THE RADIUS AT ANY ANGLE.

THERE IS A CENTER OF THE PCE, KIND OF A PALLADIAN IDEA.

EVEN IF YOU DON'T CONSCIOUSLY REALIZE YOU'RE IN

YOU'RE IN A NEGATIVE SPACE OF A BALL,

AND IT HAS THIS KIND OF SENSE OF BEING SURROUNDED.

PORTABLE PLANETARIUM WAS A PCE I DID

THAT ACTUALLY WAS THE ORB,

AND IT WAS SCALED VERY MUCH TO THIS IDEA

THAT YOU SAW IT AS AN ORB,

AND AS YOU GOT CLOSER AND CLOSER,

YOU MOVED IN, AND YOU WERE SURROUNDED,

SO YOU WENT FROM SEEING IT AS AN EXTERIOR

TO BEING IN ITS INTERIOR.

I'LL PHOTOGRAPH THIS PCE OVER AND OVER.

ONE OF THE IDEAS I HAD ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY

IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE SCULPTURE

WAS THAT THE PHOTOGRAPHS REALLY BECOME THE MEMORY OF THE PCE.

I'M TRYING NOT TO JUST DOCUMENT THEM

BUT TO SEE WHAT I CAN DO IN A PHOTOGRAPH

THAT TELLS US SOMETHING DIFFERENT

OR EMPHASIZES WHAT'S SORT OF ESSENTIAL ABOUT THE PCE.

THIS PCE IS PLAYING WITH ONE-POINT PERSPECTIVE

TO REPRESENT, TO TRICK OUR EYES INTO SEEING DEEP SPACE,

SO IT'S KIND OF ABSURD

TO ACTUALLY USE THAT TRICK IN REAL SPACE,

BUT THEN IT'S INTERESTING TO PHOTOGRAPH,

THEN FLATTEN IT OUT AGAIN.

FOR ME, IT BECOMES MORE LIKE A RUSSIAN CONSTRUCTIVIST DRAWING

OR A FUTURIST PAINTING

IN THAT, IT'S DESCRIBING SPEED AND MOVEMENT

BUT ENTIRELY ON A FLAT, STILL PLANE.

IT'S ALSO FUNNY BECAUSE THESE ALMOST BECOME

COMPUTER IMAGES WHEN THEY'RE FLATTENED OUT.

THEY'RE SO CRISP, RIGHT?

BECAUSE THEY'RE SO EXACTLY IN PERSPECTIVE, ACTUALLY.

[ grinder buzzes ]

[ welding torch crackling ]

THERE'S THIS KIND OF SCAFFOLDING

THAT'S GONNA BE THE BASE OF THE PCE.

THEN THERE ARE THESE ELEMENTS

THAT EACH HAVE A DIFFERENT FUNCTION,

THERE'S WATER, HOUSING, AND FOOD,

AND THERE ARE THESE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS,

AND THEY'RE BASED PARTIALLY AESTHETICALLY

AND PARTIALLY ON RESEARCH AND PRACTICAL NEED

FOR HOW THIS MIGHT WORK.

ORIGINALLY, I BUILT THESE STRINGS

AS A JIG TO MEASURE.

RIGHT NOW, ALL OF THESE BOXES ALIGNED

SHOULD BE PARALLEL ON THE SIDES TO THESE STRINGS.

ALL OF THE FRONTS AND THE BACKS

SHOULD BE PARALLEL TO THE BLUE TAPE.

AFTER I BUILT IT, I THOUGHT, "I LIKE THIS LANGUAGE."

YOU FEEL THE ACTUAL THINKING PROCESS

OF TRYING TO SOLVE A PROBLEM.

THIS STRING SYSTEM WAS, IN AND OF ITSELF,

AESTHETICALLY VERY INTERESTING,

SO THEN THIS IS GONNA BECOME PART OF THE PCE.

I WAS THINKING IT SHOULD BE METAL.

- SWIVEL DOWN

- THESE CLAMPS MAY BE COMPLETELY DECORATIVE.

THEY MAY NOT BE DOING ANYTHING,

BUT THEY SIGNIFY A KIND OF FLEXIBILITY.

- TO MAKE THE RIGHT ANGLE.

I MEAN, THE ONLY PROBLEM IS, THIS IS GONNA

[ grinder buzzes ]

[ drill whirring ]

- SCALE IS CRUCIAL WHEN YOU'RE WORKING OUTDOORS,

ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE IN MANHATTAN.

THE SPECTACLE OF SPACE, OF SCALE, OF INFORMATION

IS SO HIGH THAT THE SIZE IS CRUCIAL.

I'M INTERESTED TO TAKE A PUBLIC PCE

AND HAVE IT FEEL INTIMATE,

AND THEN WHEN YOU GET THERE,

YOU FEEL SLIGHTLY EMBRACED BY THE PCE ITSELF,

SLIGHTLY NESTED, WHICH PLAYS ON THE IDEA OF THE HABITAT.

I'M ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT HOW THE FRAME CAN BLEED OUT

INTO THE LOCATION.

ONE OF THE IDEAS IN THIS PCE THAT EVEN THOUGH IT'S OUTDOORS,

IT STILL HAS THIS QUALITY THAT IT'S MUTABLE,

CHANGEABLE, THAT YOU COULD COME BACK IN A WEEK,

AND IT WOULD BE CONFIGURED DIFFERENTLY.

THIS IS CORRECT, AND THAT'S CORRECT,

AND THAT'S CORRECT FOR WHAT I HAVE.

[ power tools whirring ]

I STUDIED ARCHITECTURE AND PAINTING,

SO I CAME TO SCULPTURE FROM THOSE DISCIPLINES.

I'M ALWAYS THINKING,

"WHAT CAN YOU DO IN A SCULPTURE THAT YOU CAN'T DO IN A DRAWING?

WHAT CAN YOU DO IN A BUILDING THAT YOU CAN'T DO IN A PRINT?"

MY FATHER IS AN ARCHITECT, SO I GREW UP AROUND

MODELS, PLANS, LOOKING AT CONSTRUCTION SITES,

AND ALSO WITH HIS EYE OF JUST ALWAYS TALKING

ABOUT BUILDINGS AND CITIES.

THAT LOOKS GOOD.

YEAH, THAT LOOKS GOOD.

THAT ONE LOOKS RIGHT.

THIS ONE LOOKS WRONG, BUT, I MEAN,

THAT'S THE ONE THAT I MADE UP, SO...

[ drill whirring ]

YEAH, 'CAUSE IT THAT CREATES, LIKE, A...

[ imitates ticking ]

A RHYTHM FROM THERE TO THERE TO THERE.

IT'S GOOD.

[ power tools whirring ]

MY WHOLE BODY OF WORK

HAS THIS KIND OF FLEXIBLE, MUTABLE QUALITY.

IT HAS THE RAWNESS OF A STUDIO OR THE RAWNESS OF A LABORATORY

WHERE THINGS COULD HAPPEN OR THINGS COULD FALL APART.

I THINK ABOUT THE FIRST VIEW OF A PCE

BEING LIKE THE FIRST LINE IN A NOVEL.

WHEN YOU LEAVE,

WHAT'S THE LAST PART OF THE NOVEL?

WHERE DO YOU MAINTAIN YOUR VIEWER'S INTEREST?

WHERE DO YOU CHALLENGE THEM?

WHERE'S THE CATHARSIS?

SO THAT IT IS REALLY A KIND OF NARRATIVE STORY

OF MOVEMENT THROUGH SPACE.

I TALK ABOUT THE IDEA OF CHOREOGRAPHED EXPERIENCE

OF THE VIEWER THROUGH THE SPACE.

YOU BECOME AWARE OF YOUR BODY IN RELATION TO THE WORK.

ONE OF THE IDEAS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING

IN TERMS OF THE MATERIALS I USE WAS ACCESSIBILITY.

A LOT OF THE MATERIALS

WERE THINGS THAT YOU COULD GET AT A DOLLAR STORE.

THEY'RE VERY GENERIC.

THE CULTURAL VALUE, THE MONETARY VALUE

WOULD BE VERY LOW,

AND THEN PUT THEM IN A LOCATION

WHERE THAT BECAME VERY HIGH.

SO THE SHIFTS IN SCALE WERE REALLY INTERESTING TO ME,

LITERALLY, IN TERMS OF SPACE,

BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF THE PROFOUND AND THE MUNDANE,

THE FLEETING AND THE PERMANENT,

A PCE THAT'S ALWAYS TEETERING.

TOKYOWAS A VERY HARD PCE TO PHOTOGRAPH, FILM.

IT'SYOU HAVE TO SEE IT IN PERSON, REALLY.

SOME OF MY WORK IS REALLY ABOUT

USING SPACES THAT GO UNNOTICED OR UNOCCUPIED.

IN A MUSEUM THAT'S DESIGNED TO SEE WORK,

TO THEN PUT IT IN A PLACE

LIKE THE VENTILATION BY THE WINDOW

IS KIND OF A NICE OPPORTUNITY.

I'D VERY MUCH LIKE THE EXPERIENCE OF VIEWING

TO BE ONE OF DISCOVERY,

THAT YOU DON'T WALK IN, SOMETHING IS PRESENTED,

AND IT'S FRAMED, AND IT SAYS,

"THIS IS IMPORTANT; I'M ART."

OFTEN, WITH MY WORK, IT'LL BE IN A CORNER,

OR IT'LL BE BEHIND A STAIR.

IT'LL BE NEAR THE FREIGHT ELEVATOR

SO THAT YOUR EXPERIENCE OF FIRST IS, "WHAT IS THIS?"

FOR ME, MOST INTERESTING ART ALWAYS HAS THAT QUESTION IN IT.

IT ALWAYS QUESTIONS WHAT ART IS.

[ crowd chattering ]

- ARE WE TRYING TO GET THE BIRDS TO COME?

- I DON'T KNOW.

LET'S ASK.

- WHAT ARE WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?

- WELL, IT'S AN ARTWORK, BUT IT'S ALSO A BIRD FEEDER

AND A BIRD HABITAT.

- AND BIRDS EAT ORANGES?

- YES, ORIOLES EAT ORANGES.

YEP.

- VERY INTERESTING.

- YEP.

AND BUTTERFLIES AND BEES TOO.

- IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PCE,

BUT I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND THE FRUIT ON IT.

WELL, IT'S A SCULPTURE WORK, BUT IT'S A BIRD HABITAT.

- THAT'S WHAT I TOLD YOU.

IT'S FOR THE BIRDS.

- FOR THE BIRDS.

[ both laugh ]

- SOMEBODY'S PUT THEIR OWN SEEDS IN,

'CAUSE WE DON'T USE THESE SEEDS.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENS

IN MY PCES THAT AREN'T

HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH LEAVING THINGS OR FOR BIRDS,

BUT IS THAT PEOPLE, ACTUALLY, IN MUSEUMS WILL LEAVE

OBJECTS FROM THEIR POCKETS IN THE PCE.

- AND PUT MORE WATER.

- YEAH.

- AND WHO'S THE ARTIST?

WHO DID THAT?

- I'M THE ARTIST.

- OH, YOU'RE THE ARTIST.

CONGRATULATIONS.

THAT'S REALLY BEAUTIFUL.

C'EST LA DAME ACTUELLE QUI TU FAIT.

- FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT,

I DID A LOT OF RESEARCH ON BIRDS AND WHAT BIRDS LIKE

AND WHAT COULD DIFFERENT KIND OF THINGS

COULD ATTRACT DIFFERENT KIND OF BIRDS.

- WHICH BIRDS ARE YOU ATTRACTING IN HERE?

- WELL, THESE ONES ARE THIS IS SORT OF THE

IT'S A VERY GOOD BASIC BIRD SEED JUST TO USE.

- USE FOR ANY BIRD?

- YEAH.

- AND IS IT GOING TO STAY FOR A LONG TIME?

- ONE YEAR.

YEAH.

- ONE YEAR.

WOW.

SO THAT IS DOING AN EXPERIMENT AT THE SAME TIME?

- EXACTLY.

- THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.

- THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

IT'S AN EXPERIMENT.

- THANK YOU.

- SURE.

- AU REVOIR.

- AU REVOIR.

- SAY TRES BON.

- TRES BON.

- MERCI.

- IT LOOKS LIKE A BIRDHOUSE.

- CUTE.

- DISCOVERED A NEW USE FOR ORANGES:

WIPING AWAY BIRD POOP.

[ laughs ]

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

HOW DID I MAKE IT?

THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

SO WHAT I DID WAS, I MADE THE ENTIRE THING

IN A MODEL, SO ALL OF THIS I MADE IN WOOD,

AND THESE WERE ALL MADE IN CARDBOARD,

AND WE USEDWE PUT WE PUT ALL OF THESE STRINGS HERE

AS A GUIDE SO WE COULD FIGURE OUT

ONE-POINT PERSPECTIVE.

SEE ALL THESEE?

THEY'VE BEEN EATING LIKE CRAZY, AND WE'VE BEEN REFILLING THEM,

AND THEY ALSO COME FOR THE WATER TOO.

IT'LL BE DIFFERENT EVERY SEASON.

- COOL.

- THANK YOU.

- YOU PUT ORANGES THERE, YOU'LL GET BALTIMORE ORIOLES.

- YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HOPING.

I HEARD THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH IN BROOKLYN, BUT NOT

THEY DON'T USUALLY HAVE THEM ON THE HIGH LINE,

BUT THERETHERE'S ORANGES, AND THERE'S APPLES.

- OH.

- ALSO, IT'S JUST NICE FOR COLOR.

- THANKS.

- OH, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE FLYING IN.

THERE YOU GO.

THEY'RE INTERESTED.

THEY ASK QUESTIONS.

IT JUST BLENDS IN WITH THE ENVIRONMENT,

BLENDS IN WITH THE PATHWAY.

THEY'RE NOT QUESTIONING WHY IT'S THERE

IN THE SAME WAY THAT YOU OFTEN HAVE WITH PUBLIC ART.

YOU KNOW?

THAT'S GOOD.

[ laughs ]

- I LOVE BUMBLEBEES!

'CAUSE I SAW THEM!

I LOVE BUMBLEBEES!

♪ ♪

announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ART IN THE 21ST CENTURY

AND ITS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES,

PLEASE VISIT US ONLINE AT:

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