36.5 / Bass Harbor, Maine (2013)

where: Bass Harbor, Maine, U.S.
when: August 15, 2013 (the day the artist turned 36.5)
11:04am – 11:52pm (12 hours, 48 minutes)

“On Monday, August 12, 2013,
I was sitting on the rocks by a tidal bay in Maine,
thinking about New York City’s current relationship to water
and the contemporary relationship of art to suffering and sacrifice.
The tide was rising and I marveled at how quickly the environment changed.
Rocks were being swallowed whole.
Oh, the strength of the moon!
My foot was soon underwater and it looked other-worldly.
I imagined a human being in the middle of the bay, water slowly moving upward.
I imagined my own body being swallowed and then the water subsiding, leaving me bare.
It had to be done – this was urgent!
Thursday, August 15 was three days away.
It would be my ½ birthday – an ideal moment to begin this new measurement of time.”

36.5 / Bass Harbor (part 1)  was made possible with support from Mohawk Arts Collective and the entire gang at The Hamilton Project: Byron Asher, Dan Bourque, Jillie Mae Eddy, Paul Eddy, Sophia Holtz, Jenna Horton, Peter Gage, Karen Lamb, Elise LeBreton, Cherie Magnello, Jabu Mickle-Molefe, Ben Moniz, Liz Morgan, Nice Panit Chantranuluck, Brittany Parker, Dan Rogers, Andrew Simon, Maridee Slater, Jessica Smith, Liz Thaler, Luke Wygodny.

“While in the water in Maine, I realized that this project was the beginning of a series.
I made a commitment to myself to do the second iteration exactly six months later.
Then I got invited to Akumal, which meant this was possible.”