From the heart of Medina to the head of Fort Greene...

Just finished my latest promo about the love/hate relationship all of us have with living in NYC. It's nine illustrations depicting the daily insanities that we subject ourselves to year in and year out. Simultaneously, it doubles as a sort of trophy case in which we keep our earned stripes. I'm printing these up via Lulu on a limited basis and will be sending them out to stir up some goodies for 2011. Below is the wraparound cover for the book.





You can see a few more samples of the images at my website.

"E.B. White said that the greatest and truest New York is that of the person who comes to settle here in quest of something. Seldom is there a moment that I do not marvel at the beauty and energy of this metropolis. There is a magnetism in the rattle and hum emitted by this cold and rigid grid. Her lure reaches far and wide, indiscriminately pulling outlanders close and casting her cloak around them for several days at a time until inevitably the funk creeps in and they retreat to their relatively tranquil
origins.

Throughout history, many luminaries have reflected on New York City through lenses of marvel, humor and revulsion. It is a paradox, eliciting myriad reactions from wonder to disdain. Undoubtedly, the omnipresent and ceaseless static of The City can drive one to seek sanctuary far away from the chatter, the characters, the crush. And yet, persevering through the sensory onslaught yields that sense of pride, that warm and chewy nougat center of a New Yorker.

There are times when I suddenly snap awake - temporarily free of my steadfast adoration - to notice the sorrow and crookedness of my surroundings. Transiently I perceive this city as an outsider and it is only then that I question the choice to live my life at fever pitch, constantly pushing and pulling, hastily ascending and descending staircases, that may ultimately lead nowhere.

However, this inquiry is fleeting. A familiar warmth washes over me, charging me with vigor and purpose. And just in time, too. Because the drycleaner's closes in ten minutes and I just remembered that the uptown train at 14th street is running local today."