ARTIST BIO & STATEMENT
I've lived in New York since 2001, was here on Sept 11th, and was here when Sandy hit in late October of this year. New York is a pedestrian city, and everyday I walk by hundreds of people hardly caring who brushes past. We're conditioned to ignore because of constant solicitation. If it's not the guy handing out a flyer for 1/2 off suits, its the homeless vet, gym promoter, food cart barker, or tourist asking for directions. We're a compassionate city and a generous city, but we are engrained to walk fast and keep eyes front.
There have been two exceptions to this in my tenure. 9/11 and the days following Sandy. Its a small note that you won't find in any of the history books, but the days that followed New York's hardest times, people made eye contact. Moreso, they seeked that contact. It was a look of reassurance that everything will be ok. And whether you needed the strength or were providing it, it was there.
In the days after 10/29, I saw faces as are depicted in the graphic. Angry, tired, confused. Faces that in my previous daily routine would have gone unnoticed. The statistics related are missing vowels symbolic of the confusion and stress related to the days and weeks following Sandy's impact. Many people still are still feeling the effects of Hurricane Sandy in their daily lives, and my hope Is this captures a moment when the information was unclear, and future uncertain.
Todd Detwiler is an illustrator living in New York City. He works on a range of projects for magazines, book publishers, advertising agencies, and production companies. His work can commonly be seen in Time, ESPN, Men's Health, and Popular Science magazine. This is his first show with FORUM artspace. For more info and work, please visit www.toddetwiler.com.
I've lived in New York since 2001, was here on Sept 11th, and was here when Sandy hit in late October of this year. New York is a pedestrian city, and everyday I walk by hundreds of people hardly caring who brushes past. We're conditioned to ignore because of constant solicitation. If it's not the guy handing out a flyer for 1/2 off suits, its the homeless vet, gym promoter, food cart barker, or tourist asking for directions. We're a compassionate city and a generous city, but we are engrained to walk fast and keep eyes front.
There have been two exceptions to this in my tenure. 9/11 and the days following Sandy. Its a small note that you won't find in any of the history books, but the days that followed New York's hardest times, people made eye contact. Moreso, they seeked that contact. It was a look of reassurance that everything will be ok. And whether you needed the strength or were providing it, it was there.
In the days after 10/29, I saw faces as are depicted in the graphic. Angry, tired, confused. Faces that in my previous daily routine would have gone unnoticed. The statistics related are missing vowels symbolic of the confusion and stress related to the days and weeks following Sandy's impact. Many people still are still feeling the effects of Hurricane Sandy in their daily lives, and my hope Is this captures a moment when the information was unclear, and future uncertain.
Todd Detwiler is an illustrator living in New York City. He works on a range of projects for magazines, book publishers, advertising agencies, and production companies. His work can commonly be seen in Time, ESPN, Men's Health, and Popular Science magazine. This is his first show with FORUM artspace. For more info and work, please visit www.toddetwiler.com.