Gowanus
The Gowanus Canal is a paradox. It’s a toxic Superfund site and a booming Brooklyn neighborhood. A brand-new Whole Foods sits above a plume of trichloroethylene, which contaminates the soil far beyond the canal’s bulkheads. In some places the “black mayonnaise” lining the bottom is 20 feet deep. This is not an uncommon problem in New York City; industrial sites become prime real estate faster than they can be cleaned up. These onsite paintings explore this uneasy evolution and the “post-cleanup” world. New parks are punctuated by caged environmental monitoring systems. Artist studios and daycares share the waterfront with concrete plants and fuel depots.