Father's Day 2016.

I flew into New York City from Oakland on the redeye. I flew over all the places I have been writing about and painting about in Hunter Island in just a few moments.

Whenever I come back I brace myself. I prepare for that feeling of being underwater, of being unable to breathe. That feeling which inspired this whole project. This time, strangely, that feeling did not come.

This Father's Day, I had a plan.

I had 1000 feet of rope in my backpack and printed booklets of all work. I would go to a few of the locations most important to me and my dad: Roosevelt Island and North 8th Park. I'd create buoys attached to the 1000 feet of rope and attach them to the places described in each booklet. In some way, I believe that in this gesture he is finding these buoys, floating 1000 feet above us in the alternate reality I have created for him. I also fear that this alternate reality is not so distant. That as artists we need to start preparing our work to be waterproof. Disaster-proof. To mark the stories and places most important to us in ways that will outlast us.

I couldn't believe how quickly people started interacting with the work. This couple spent 10 minutes passing it back forth, talking about it, taking photos.

They even left a note:

It made the whole trip, the whole project feel worth it. I can't wait to come back and do the rest.

You can follow the progress of the project here: HUNTER ISLAND.