The main purpose of my first trip to New York in nine years was drawing my 15th 24 Hour Comic at an event at the Theater for The New City, but I also found time to show my work to some possible illustration clients, meet with a lot of old friends, and eat some fine meals. Among the people I saw in New York were a couple of folks from Los Angeles; my sister Anny happened to be in Philadelphia that week for an AFTRA event and took the bus up to meet me, and I unexpectedly encountered film producer J. Todd Harris on 34th street, near the Empire State Building.
David Chelsea is reading:
Ike and Dick: Portrait of a Strange Political Marriage
by Jeffrey Frank
New York is full of interesting textures, some of which inspired me to take snapshots that I later turned into kaleidoscopic tilings, such as this ripped-up wall of posters in the East Village:
This graffiti-covered wall in a stairwell at the Theater For The New City:
And this very rusted-out bathroom stall:
Apart from the time spent on my 24 Hour Comic, I didn’t do a lot of drawing during my trip, but I did manage this sketch of my friends Libby and Stefan’s Brooklyn kitchen:
…as well as this view from a nearby Starbucks of the Astor Place Cube:
Compare it to this old flyer from 1980s performance art days, which provides my potential audience members pre-Google Maps directions to a show at Sophie’s Bar on East 6th street:
Thanks for the memories, New York. I’ll try not to stay away for nine years next time.