Study for Bushwick Renewal

Existing studs and sheetrock, material removed, and plaster, cement, spackling paste, shims, and on-site materials. 2016

Study for Bushwick Renewal

2016

For this installation, I drew upon the industrial history of the gallery's Bushwick location --and the current trend towards ultra-rapid gentrification-- to locate viewers in this moment in history. Specifically, I was interested in the nearby former Rheingold Brewery site --which is an area that has undergone pro-development rezoning in a location that is in need of affordable housing.

I created a series of cuts into the sheetrock gallery walls that were derived from an archival image of the Rheingold Brewery shortly before its demolition in 1982. Each negative space serves to highlight the iconic arched windows of the former brewery. The entire installation took shape from there, using on-site materials and building materials to speak to the changing nature of our city.