Downes

Rackstraw Downes: Under the Westside Highway

June 27, 2010, to January 2, 2011

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum

This brochure accompanies an exhibition of Rackstraw Downes’s three-part painting, Under the Westside Highway at 145th Street: The North River Water Pollution Control Plant, and the many sketches and preparatory works which were part of the process of its creation. The work depicts a space which the artist describes in his journal as “very ‘ancient Rome’; Piranesi-like … with enormous columns, and some nice curves …” Typical of Downes’s work, it is an in-between space, utilitarian and majestic; a manmade space next to the Hudson River, which quietly gleams behind the trees, stage left.

The paradox of Downes’s work is that at first glance, to our twenty-first-century eyes, it ap-pears to be photo-realistic. Nothing could be further from the truth. This “snapshot” of a particular location at a particular moment was in fact meticulously crafted over a year and a quarter. On site. With no camera involved.

Downes works up his compositions through repeated observation and study as he makes sketches, drawings, preliminary paintings, and ultimately, the final canvases. What appears to be a moment in time has been constructed by the artist—even the joggers and cyclists care-fully rendered from observation—even if that means the jogger must be asked to run by again and again, until her form is captured and the composition improved.

Downes keeps a journal in which he records his working process, thoughts on art, exhibi-tions, books, and his personal life. Below are excerpts which document the creation of Under the Westside Highway at 145th Street: The North River Water Pollution Control Plant, and a related painting of the George Washington Carver housing project at 103rd Street and Park Avenue, from May 1, 2008, to August 8, 2009.*

Rackstraw Downes: Under the Westside Highway

5.1.08 Lv. studio 6:00a.m., arr. 102nd St. site 6:45a.m. (No Parking, Mon – Thurs 11:30a.m. - 1 p.m.) A couple of weeks ago, looking for something in a flat file drawer, came across a small drawing that looked like a real nice composition – very “ancient Rome”; Piranesi-like thing with enormous columns, and some nice curves, somewhat symmetrical, & frontal – Poussin-esque too, in a way. Decided to recheck that site. Went up there yesterday & drew on paper cut to the same propor-tions as the little found drawing, but bigger, more than twice the size. It was cold, very cold, windy & damp, but worked away & produced something – not a handsome drawing, but a good template for a painting. I am standing under the West Side Highway, just north of the sewage treatment plant, where the 147th St. bridge to the roof park comes across – the underside of that is in the painting. Will go right ahead on this, the guy in the booth said O.K. to my drawing there. Hopefully the manager of the plant doesn’t come by and shoo me away as he did in 2004 when I drew down the south end of it, also under the West Side Highway.

*****5.14 Wed. Lv. studio 5:45a.m., arr. site 6:30a.m. Quit work 11:15a.m. arr. studio 12:15p.m. …Asked a young black gal if she liked to paint – “Some are born with it and won’t do it, some are not born with it and do want to do it. I’m the second kind.”

*****5.15.08 Lv. studio 8:15a.m. arr. site (Sewage Treat. North) 9:10a.m. Lv. site 1:35p.m. arrive at studio 2:30p.m. Worked over RH side of this large sketch to try to get the light to come in. Very difficult – all subtle greens & greys: warm mustardy greens, & warm greys. The two grey columns are par-ticularly perplexing: both color & drawing. They face me at different angles, and the widths are huge, not the way I “see” them. Would like this painting to be exquisitely finished, with very precise tones, scale & linear movement. How dangerous & deceptive is a quick, suggestive drawing—all charm, not at all viable as a template. Another group of school boys came by: I ignored them, and they went away, but I felt extremely vulnerable. What is the relationship between height & width in this painting? It feels so tall when I’m standing there, yet it’s also stretched out to the right – the big, worked drawing I did for it is altogether wrong. Oh, Piranesi, come to my help! Must read Yourcenar on him again – but she’s a sucker for the Carceri which ain’t the good stuff – antiquities of Rome is the really impressive achievement. The site, however much trouble I’m having, remains fabulous. Could this & the projects make a wonderful contrasting pair? in both color & construction? More time, more time, more time! “Oh Time, Strength, Cash, Patience” Melville. Better health, better weather.

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*****Sun. 5.18.08 Lv. studio 5:50a.m., arr. at site 6:30a.m., Lv. site 12:30p.m., arr. studio 1:20p.m. This project is a little different socially than the others I’ve worked at. I’m called Papi by Latinos, & by blacks I’ve been called Honkey & Cracker – in ways that were a mix – I felt – of friendly & hostile. My painting was certainly looked at with respect. My favorite comment, from a man who stood uncomfortably close to me while I worked, scrutinizing my painting, was (pointing to a tiny smear of paint) “Is that a car in the parking lot over there?” I said Yes. He: “God bless you!” and took off.

*****5.24.08 Sat. Lv. studio 5:58a.m., arr. at site 6:35a.m., Lv. site 1:20p.m., arr. at studio 2:15p.m. … Right now (Sat. afternoon) the projects picture looks quite good. Real question whether to enlarge or paint like this, on this size. It is coming (and I don’t altogether trust that; it’s going too quick.) The Sewage Treatment Plant image is far more uncertain. No definite light yet, color is going to be the devil – very subtle greens, grays and pale tans – also stronger browner tans on the ground. Good puddle material after all that rain – when it rains again, focus on that. It will be an animator in this picture (Does Beckett use an ‘animator’ in Rough for Radio? The man who lectures Fox, & asks him the questions. Interrogator might also have been active.)

*****6.5.08 Thurs. lv. studio 6:28a.m., arr. site (via 137th St. to pee) 7:25. Lv. site 1:35p.m., arr. studio (via 137th St.) 2:50p.m. Very blue this evening (7:30p.m.). Had a long but slow unexciting day at work. Cold & damp under the highway. Lost sight of the whole painting. Fussed with the two columns. Wanted to paint them together to compare & contrast their color & light. The harder I worked, the less it seemed to COUNT. What is essential?, that is the question. I know there’s a painting there somehow, but how? Where? What does it consist of? Think of Don Potter looking at my drawing of a clump of trees: “That’s a nice group.” In other words, the trees are nice, not the drawing. These greens – bluish, pallid, then colorless dark spots – are fiendish. …All right, Downes, get your own back, make these dreary columns incandescent with pallid, haunting light, and make the foliage tremble with the summer stormy winds. I think of Poussin in connection with this picture – it is so orderly – too orderly – like the one from Wales, with the widow scraping up Phocion’s ashes. I resented that painting. It is beautiful but it disproved my point about order being beyond our awareness – not the order of geometry, but the order of anthills, natural processes, the weather. That is serious order, that we can’t measure, with our little minds.

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Mon. June 16th ’08, Lv. studio 6:00a.m., arr. site (via 137th St.) 7:05a.m. (STP). Getting closer with the greens on this one; just the LH side. Paid attention to this one segment, but the whole of it, that is to say, from top to bottom: grass, leaves, masonry, ground (gravel) and green painted steel on bridge. It’s not great yet, but it is better, far better than it was. Have yet to establish the basic mix for the concrete columns. They are a bitch. Sat. June 28 ’08, Lv. studio 5:14 a.m., arr. site 5:52 a.m. Yesterday, weather turned out well, just a little pallid sunshine for circa 30 mins., otherwise steadily grey. Getting too fussy & detailed – but need the detail to get the effect of light on the ground – v. subtle. …Had problems with spacing on the LH middle of the sewage treatment plant painting. Tried to move the wooden pole over to the left – the spaces are hopelessly disproportionate. Also plenty of trouble mixing greens. The foliage does have a sharp light fringe around the masses, but not so bright that they bring out the sunshine. Had trouble with these. But the puddle is ok, on the money. The rest of the ground needs help/work. And the entire RH side is totally off still, in color & light. Phong said “There’s no red in this painting. Matisse said every painting needs some red.” Then he noticed the tiny slender STOP sign - “oh there it is” says he. But me, I could care less – this painting needs refinement in the greens, not touches of red.

*****Wed July 9th ’08 Lv. studio, 8:08a.m. arr. STP 9:05a.m. Lv. site 12:50p.m. Drew on the other side of the pylon supporting the West Side Highway. This drawing connects to the painting I’ve been work-ing on. Could make a 360° view with a third painting. i.e. approx 120° each.

*****Fri July 11th ’08 Lv. studio. 6:02a.m. Surprise, surprise! Yesterday, when I went to attach my or-ange-plastic-bag flag to the front leg of my easel (to draw attention of passersby so they would not bump into it) I found a dollar in the bag. Someone must have donated it to the cause of plein-air painting. Klaus wanted to call my work “plein-air” for his exhibit proposal, but I said use “on site” instead – all those interiors were not painted “en plein air”.

July 16, ’08 Lv. studio. 5:20a.m. Yesterday, stayed in studio & squared up 2 new drawings from the north end of STP. I always forget how slowly this goes – and this time they’re going on the biggest board size – about the same size as the Pulaski Skyway painting., – I’ve ever taken in the subway. Will it go thru’ the turnstiles easy? Yes, here I am on platform – very sweaty down here tho’ pleas-ant above ground; MTA, when they got AC on the trains, seems to have forgotten how hot that would make it in the tunnels & stations.

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July 21, ’08 Monday Lv studio 5:35a.m. Took 2 days off – nice. …The weather man & the sky itself were both ambiguous when I left home – how will it be when I get there? Brought grey day painting, & also a drawing pad – may help to draw cyclists to populate this painting, arr. site (145th STP) 6:34a.m. It is going to be pallid sun-shine I bet all day, hazy & humid. Why didn’t they say that? WINS would not say anything, just gave a temperature forecast & NOAA said cloudy am, clearing w/tstorms p.m. SCREW ’EM! Concentrate on windows and bicycles today. The ground is dry! – no puddles – no t-storms for a while. Lv. site 1:40p.m. arr. studio 2:50p.m.

*****Tues. Aug. 5th ’08 Lv. studio 5:32a.m. Very disappointed yesterday when I looked at the painting in the studio – where is the brilliant clear-day light? Not in the picture. And, com-pared with the drawing the downward angle of the girders seems exaggerated. Must compare (1) height of grey columns (the pair) (2) slope & angle of foreground fence, espe-cially the gate part & the security booth (3) work on light: especially the light on the parking lot ground, and the far left row of brilliantly illuminated columns. …E.M. Forster writes in one of his pieces, about someone (Sinclair Lewis? J. Conrad?) not wanting the praise of admirers. Look this up: it was interesting. Read it last nite. Thought about the woman on a bicycle who told me “I’m an artist too, I’m a big fan of your work” Wished she’d go away, & look at my work when it’s on the walls. She seemed surprised when I responded with a stony silence.

*****Wed. Aug. 20 ’08 Lv. studio 5:31a.m. …Little red Mini Cooper showed up again – was able to finish that – the car of the year, had to have it in. Nice young couple asked me (because I had asked her about her parking schedule) where I would like her to park.

*****Fri. Aug. 22nd ’08 Lv. studio 5:35a.m. on train 5:51a.m.Lousy day yesterday. Two models showed up (1/2 hr. late) to pose as joggers & cyclists. Had asked for 2 cyclists, but only one had a bicycle. So t’other sat down and waited while I tried to insert first one into grey day painting. It was hard; there’s nothing like a figure to show up the inaccuracies of your scale. … Just before the models showed up, four guys in red cycling gear came riding thru’ the picture – caught them emerging from behind a big central tree – they looked great. I need 4 such guys in my painting. That would give it a nice flip. My model was dressed very drab, black pants, dark grey T shirt. And, tho’ I had asked her to bring a change of costume so I could use her twice, she didn’t. So I was unable to make this lonely drab cyclist enliven the painting as I had hoped.

*****Sun. Aug. 24th Lv. studio 7:33a.m. …These damn figures are tough, like clouds, in that they’re moving and changing – unlike clouds in that they are not nearly so capricious regarding shape. Especially since, in this case, cyclists are going in a special bike path, so one replaces the other – also like cars moving in car lanes. The problem is, the figure has got to belong in the color & light char-acter of the painting. Then, they must be crisp, unfussed, “accurate”, and animated – they must supply something. The idea of 4 cyclists is nice, & emerging as it were, from behind a bush. But they look pretty formless, no matter how aware I am of the problem. “Emerging” – cf. Claude’s boats sliding off from the shore – or was it Corot’s?

*****Wed. Sept. 17 ’08 Lv. studio 5:37a.m. Lv. site 2:45p.m. arr. studio 3:37p.m. …Having double-trouble up there. 1) The runner I decided I wanted in the painting, was a good idea – at first she was in the wrong place – got in the way of the yellow diamonds. Moved her, & it is a better place. But now, to get the gestalt of a young female runner seen soon after she has crossed yr. field of vision from right to left, and is beginning to present a cross between profile & back view, a 3/4 rear view. And the nearest leg is extended for

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ward, right leg trailing. Plus, the last few days there has been a lot of cloudiness, so can’t even get her colors right. Made her up in the studio over the weekend from drawings. Sat/Sun are good days for drawing runners & cyclists, there are so many – so, one departs & is immediately replaced by another. Styles of running vary, but not by much. Arm positions help differentiate runners & walkers – leg positions are subtler as to difference. Fierce back aches from bending down & leaning forward. Hot water bottle helps; also, doing stretches right there at the site.

*****Monday Sept. 22nd, …. Emma came. She looked good for the situation all in black (shorts & T shirt), so only her limbs light up against those dark bushes. So hard! First, I had her run, again & again; made atrocious drawings – it’s not her gestalt at all – everybody has one. One man runner up there who goes topless I was able to grasp his upper body, bony anatomy quite well – he’s instantly recognizable. It’s quite amazing how little (in terms of drawing) will say something so precise. Probably I was too uptight, caring too much what E. would think – no good. Must be steely cold – she’s the employee, you’re the employer. Just use her, like she was a bush. Also, when I had her stand still and mimic running, it didn’t look like her running anymore. Her arms didn’t crank, and her hair didn’t fly around, or catch the light. Animation is what you’re trying to get – movement, vivacity. I also see how very crude my painting has become.

*****7.27.09 Monday. Lv. studio 6:38a.m. arr. site (Sewage Treatment Plant, north end) 7:50a.m. Lv. site 1:15p.m. Worked on blue hill to the right, & tree tops to the left. Confused by hazy light – need something crisper.

*****8.7.09 Friday Lv. studio 7:18a.m. arr. NRSTPlant 8:11a.m. …Worked well today on the weird tree – the first one to the left of the bridge. It never looked right before, but today after some prolonged work, it did. Then, the Jersey side of the Hudson, the pool of pink light that the solo cyclist is in, and the gates, all got some work, & finally the left hand trees, which have come a long way this summer. No Canada Geese yet. I guess fall is coming late this year.

*****8.8.09 Lv. studio 7:23a.m. arr. site 8:22a.m. Lv. site 11:32a.m. arr. studio 12:35p.m. Again, am I finished? Worked some on the black fence posts that were – in the drawing stage – the skeleton of the painting. Fixed the white buildings in New Jersey. Worked on the shad-ows cast by the gate on the RH side, & on the ground beneath that. Worked on the fat tree to the left of the ‘weird’ tree. And, finally, kept at the two main trees, (and also did a little on the bright gate on far left). Upshot? Who knows. I’m done. Except for endless fussing with the LH trees, (endless, because the light is changing fast everyday, and the leaves are slightly more yellow than they were) – there is not much to be done without rethinking the whole thing.

*(c) 2009 Rackstraw Downes

Rackstraw Downes is a native of England who lives and works in America. He re-ceived a B.A. (1961) from the University of Cambridge, and a B.F.A. (1963) and M.F.A. (1964) from Yale University. He is a 2009 recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. His work is in the permanent collections of The Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the National Gallery of Art, among many others. His essays have appeared in such pub-lications as The New York Times Book Review, Art in America, and Art Journal.

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