- Pasqualina took this “self-portrait” with the help of a neighborhood passerby as she finished up the Gowanus Canal mural.
As an artist working within the fertile overlap of urban development and public art, I paint the temporary walls that surround New York City’s construction sites. Within this unusual domain, the street is my studio, a block-long wooden fence is my canvas, and an odd assortment of paint, conversation, and happenstance are my supplies. It is here, at the literal intersection of the neighborhood that is and the one that is about to be, that connections are made and stories are revealed.
Most recently, I was working on a project along the Gowanus Canal in
Brooklyn, New York, where a long-established residential neighborhood
meets an industrial one. During my tenure at the site, I spoke at length
to a wide range of folks, including developers, construction workers,
residents, and passersby, all of whom were generous and kind, and eager
to share their personal stories and knowledge of local history. Through
these conversations and further research, I learned about the cultural,
social, and environmental history of the area. As a result, the mural
became an integrated collaboration of sorts, depicting the modernist,
industrial landscape of the Gowanus Canal, interspersed with ghosts
on horses from the Revolutionary War, trotting through the marshlands
of yore.
Whether painting around the entire site of what is now Brooklyn’s tallest
residential tower, or alongside the controversial demolition of an
old stone chapel that has been replaced by a 26-story New York University
dormitory in the East Village, my murals serve to create a dynamic
platform for meaningful public dialogue. During the time of a neighborhood’s
flux and redefinition, this public art can demonstrate what’s possible
when people work together thoughtfully to explore the ever-changing
urban environment.
For more information, visit pasqualinaazzarello.com
