"Let's go to the Broken City
Let's Help Them clear the sod
Let's show the world we'll fill their lungs
with the clean, fresh breath of God."
-in an e-mail from Scott Ailing in the words of his 5 year old nephew penned by mother
Marianne
Today I harvested snap peas, put them in a clay pot and went to The Barbara Ann Levy Gallery
to examine 9 murals that became the backdrop and holding environment for residents and
visitors to Cherry Grove, Fire Island, New York, a gay and lesbian seaside resort area and
community. Cherry Grove is located on the Fire Island National Seashore, an unspoiled barrier
reef in the Atlantic Ocean off of the coast of Long Island. The murals are spontaneous art
productions, expressions of shock, disbelief, rage, and grief ; reactions to "9/11", destruction of the Trade Towers and the new' War on America.
The noontime chimes sound on this gray warm November day and I can hear the pulse of the
ocean behind me. It is hard to re-live the weekend of 9/11 through the murals. My heart is heavy and my chest is tight as I search for appropriate language to describe the sudden disorganization of a community that struggled fast to make sense of the terror through art making and prayer.
Most Cherry Grove community members are gay or lesbian and live in New York City,Manhattan, through the fall and winter months. Gay Pride and Greenwich Village; birthplace of the Gay Liberation Movement were born in lower Manhattan so the Trade Tower bombings had particular significance for this gay and lesbian community.
As I examine the murals, words and images vie for my attention. Each participant found an
isolated area on which to work. Few interacted. There was one exception. In a corner of one of
the murals an angry community member wrote, "Fuck Religion". Another indignant resident
wrote the word "Don't" above it to re-right the wrong.
A block of text, a memorial to the Windows On The World Restaurant workers reads, "For all
my friends at Windows On The World, thank you. Rest in peace." A red mark is drawn from the
block of text and seems to be thrown as though it were a lifeline into the south tower. A stylized call for participation on a flyer by a Cherry Grove homeowner, "US Attacked! Day of Terror! It's War!" was word processed in a typeface similar to that used in ads for Reefer Madness, a camp anti drug film; it seemed impossible to believe that the creative center of the United States, NYC had been violated.
There are many American flags ; a round one in the shape of a peace symbol, a weeping flag,
an "I Love NY" flag with a black image of the Trade Towers that stand in the middle of a heart
that seems to fall away from a field of stripes. The Towers become gravestones.
A plea for compassion reads, "Don't cash out without facts...Innocent Americans =Innocent
Muslims".
A young man, hotel guest dressed in a suit and tie came into the gallery which had become a
counseling and Art Therapy center the weekend following the attack. He chose to work on a 10
x 3.50' panel of his own which he stretched out on the floor and onto which he drew a
painstaking vision of a new Trade Towers, towers that could withstand attack. His artwork is
composed of lightly rendered pencil lines that depict structures based on the triangle with a
footbridge that attaches one tower to another. The bridge seems to hold the drawn structure to
the page and a horizontal bar acts as a visual magnet for a viewer's eye. The towers do not have
a ground or groundline but the words, " Stronger than ever" appear as perhaps an attempt to
ground them.
Participants paid tribute to loved ones who lost their lives in the tragedy; "FDNY Eric T./ Allen
"44" Angelica (Wife)", "Pam, watch over us", "Hatred begets hatred, Love Begets Love! For
Alan, South Tower, 105th Floor".
There are many peace symbols; a peace symbol contains the pledge of allegiance and is
surrounded by words from "God Bless America". Another peace symbol cries a tear, has a
broken heart. A third seems to explode from a field of red, white and blue.
An artist and hotel manager juxtaposes lightly rendered fragile transparent towers with fingers
that gesture the 1960's American peace symbol. A list of missing New Jersey residents was
collaged next to the words, "Heal, Help".
A child from the community contributed a self-portrait with rainbow peace symbol.
"And the angels cried" was written with a robin's egg blue pastel that forms an arch above a crying angel who rocks a baby with her wing. The image appears to emerge from black smoke
drawn with charcoal. One can see a pool of blood that drips down from a bleeding American
flag above it."We shall overcome! Together!! is written and covers an ungrounded Trade
Towers.
"R.I.P." is written on the south tower and "9-11/01" is written on the north . A severed
hand carries the torch of Liberty ablaze in pink, orange and yellow. The flames in comic book
sequence become a dancing devil. A Cherry Grove inkjet image of the community's pier at
sunset was collaged next to it. The juxtaposition seems to reflect the community's struggle to hold this polarity the Trade Tower tragedy and the natural beauty of Fire Island.
"The Bastards", a cut out in ransom note style crowns a photograph of the bombed towers.
"Terror", "Attack" flank the towers to their left and right. A crayon drawing of a peace sign like a roulette wheel spins below it. "Pam, watch over us", a friend of a victim pleads with the viewer.
Pamela Boyce died. "For those who knew you mourn you now. But your love and the love you
gave to those you touched will go on forever, my brother lost a friend and though you are not
among us any longer, your spirit will be. For every time we dance we will remember all the
good times. May God Bless all those who have lost and those who still have family missing our
prayers and strength still go out to you all who are suffering. God Bless, Joey, Bottoms and
Friends!!! Dated Sunday, 9/16/01.
A graffiti artist, 'City Queen' signed a panel with her handle and incorporates a drawing of the
towers with a halo tied like a bow above them. A miniature set of towers with blue wings is
drawn in a corner of the page. Another set of Trade Towers rests on a rainbow ground.
Like a high school year book well wishers appeal to God for healing "America Rising. God
Bless Us All". "Love to the Highest level for the good of all involved." "For God so love the
world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believe in him shall have everlasting
life!! If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, there is no mountain you can't move." "The time now is for unity and love and do away with hate, love conquers!
"In his hands...A world is
shown with a multicultural theme. People of many colors hold hands. All are held by one hand
that rests on a delicate pink cloud.