Full Service Island, installation detail, dimensions variable, 2009
Full Service Island was created as a collaborative public art/video project by Beth Dary and Christy Speakman for Art in Odd Places, 2009: SIGN. The project was hosted by the Chelsea Carwash in Manhattan.
Full Service Island uses the installation site as both studio and stage. Under the shadow of the High Line Park, the Chelsea Carwash is a main artery, functioning both as an entrance and exit to Lower Manhattan. Each day, countless visitors, residents, and city workers stop to fill gas tanks, wash cars, and shop at the mini market. Imagery in the multi-channel video installation echoes traces of these daily acts. Window panes are illuminated by projections reflecting puddles found along 14th Street, construction, passersby, motor oil stains dripped by cars in transit, and cellular bubbles reflecting microscopic versions of the city. The imagery explores impervious surfaces, urban runoff, and the force of water in a city of overload. Projected onto the glass of the oil change room and car wash detail shop, the installation is a participatory exploration of urban details. Water, gasoline, and soap fluidly converge in a neighborhood slated for massive change.
A video documenting the installation can be found here
A blog detailing the creation of the project can be found here