6. Evolution: Context and Continuity in the Work of Doug and Mike Starn 83
6.1 The Starn Proposal 83
The winning design of the South Ferry Station art competition was created by Doug and Mike Starn (Ill. 65). Built on the ongoing series in the Absorption of Light
portfolio (see chapter 3.1) and the Behind Your Eye installation (see chapter 3.3),
the Starns introduced the idea of circulatory systems and proposed to create a photomural of tree portraits from adjacent Battery Park, complemented by a monumental leaf, and a historic map of the Manhattan peninsula. Consistent with the notion of continuity and change, the concept expresses the artists’ own universal interpretation in a public offering. The jury minutes of the selection process succinctly state the essence of the Starn brothers’ work not just for this one project but, throughout the entire course of their artistic inquiry: “The panel felt strongly for the Starn’s [sic] proposal. Their proposal was conceptual and multi-‐ layered with a complex, beauty. Although one questioned if the Starns’ proposal might not be colorful enough, the majority of the panel was strongly in favor of
it.”205
Initially untitled, the South Ferry Station proposal responded to the site
systematically by placing it in its location historically and contextually, both within the larger topography at the tip of Manhattan and by zooming in on the Station’s immediate environs. Their concept emphasizes the notion of change and renewal. Within this immediate framework, the visual language effectively expresses the complexity of the layers while opening itself up to a new, continuous stream of associations by the viewer. Doug and Mike define the key elements, comprised of a historic map of the tip of Manhattan, a downward facing leaf, and layers of tree branches:
As passengers enter through the turnstiles they will face a telescopic
imagining of time and place in a floor-‐to-‐ceiling reproduction of a map of the
island of Manhattan. They will approach this mural from the same
perspective that the Staten Island Ferry approaches the southern tip of the island, aimed uptown, into the heart. […] Along and above the stairwell leading down to the platform, a parallel image of a tree’s discarded leaf echoes the shape of the island and the tracery of its conduits. […] These ideas are further reinforced by our proposal for the length of the corridor. If finances allow, travelers will pass along the gently undulating corridor lined
by the latticed branches of our Structure of Thought series.206
The map of Manhattan faces the entrance turnstiles, placed on the wall paralleling the staircase to the 1 train. It is based on a rare 1886 United States Census Bureau map with two layers, recording the original topography from 1640 and an 1880s street plan, which juxtaposes the natural, organic contours with the linear street pattern of the modern city. The accurate depiction of this historic map presents a more appropriate image than the florally embellished map proposed by finalist Polly Apfelbaum. A digitally added perspective symbolizes the passage of time, as it references fly-‐through models of contemporary architectural animations, enforcing the “perspective” impression intended by the artists. The proposal specifies
fabrication of the map in mosaic in a broad color spectrum of stone tesserae.
The deliberately placed leaf references the shape of the map on the adjacent, perpendicular wall. Its exposed veins reinforce the narrative: “the leaf and the island are receptors and givers of energy, speeding the transport of vital resources
through their internal networks.”207 Thus, transportation unfolds as an essential
theme inherent in all natural and manmade systems. The station‘s purpose to transport people through this node achieves clear articulation. Execution either in Ravenna-‐style, stone mosaic or a laser photo print laminated onto curved steel panel was envisioned.
The leaf speaks of the tree, introducing the presence of Battery Park aboveground. Careful about the budget, the proposal states that finances needed to be reviewed before a full commitment could be made to designing the entire length of the curved concourse wall travelers face when entering the station control area from the pedestrian plaza above. Here, the ideal convergence of site combines with the
206 Doug and Mike Starn, "Doug and Mike Starn Proposal for South Ferry Terminal Project," (2005). 207 Ibid.
intrinsic logic of thought, amplified by the artists’ ongoing Structure of Thought series of tree imagery. For the new station, Doug and Mike Starn would photograph onsite at Battery Park, where certain trees were marked for removal to make room for the expansion. They thoughtfully suggested reintegrating the trees visually into the newly built environment. Fabrication involved mounting printed branch layers of clear acetone behind protective architectural glass.
After receiving the commission, the Starns received an invitation from Arts for Transit to expand their contract by designing the concourse fence for the control area, most likely inspired by finalist Suikang Zhao’s idea of adding the fence to the artist-‐designed station elements (see Ill. 64). This inspired scheme elevated the station concourse further yet beyond the merely functional and towards a holistic, meaningful experience by basing its design on the theme of the layered tree mural on the wall running parallel to the fence (Ill. 66). Eight feet high, the 50-‐foot-‐long fence was to be fabricated in 3/8” thick, stainless steel. New York State building code safety regulations required that openings in the fence’s ornamental pattern had to be below four inches in diameter up to a fence height of thirty-‐four inches,
and smaller than eight inches between 34 and 42 inches above the floor.208 While
this requirement generally prevents large objects from being passed through the fence, it also serves to avoid small children’s heads from getting stuck, should they play there.