Two days after the attack on the World Trade Center the New York City subway system was back up and running. I went to my job that day. The trains were not crowded like usual. There was an eerie, pensive tension in the air. People looked stunned.

I decided to make a painting of subway riders that day. I selected images from my sketchbooks of subway riders, and composed this picture. The whole day seemed like a bad dream. The people seemed lost, confused, and disconnected.