A Historical Collection of Cartographic Close-Ups…

"A Historical Collection of Cartographic Close-Ups of a Vacant Lot at the Corner of Grand Street and Wilbur Street (currently known as Gabbi’s Garden and People’s Park), in Albany, New York" is a series of extreme close-ups of maps of a vacant lot turned squatted community garden beside the artist’s home in Albany’s South End. The maps range from 18th-century cartographic surveys to contemporary satellite imaging, and depict different perspectives on the lot; a parcel of land that has been shaped by settler colonialism, redlining, “urban renewal,” utopian movements of the late 20th century, and present-day disinvestment, gun violence, community gardening, and neighborhood gathering. By looking closely at the ways this small patch of earth has been surveyed, mapped, and depicted over time, the project offers a meditation on the historical forces that continue to shape it.

Commissioned for “Compass Roses: Maps by Artists,” a national artwork co-curated by Nadine Wasserman and Renee Piechocki. https://www.compassroses.art/albany