Imagine this is an image of paper boats floating in the East River with a backdrop of Lower Manhattan.
I have had an idea for a public art project for a number of years. It came to me around that time I was photographing areas of Brooklyn that were associated with the Battle of Brooklyn. I was using pinhole cameras and other primitive photographic techniques. To capture the landscape as it appears today. I was interested in documenting the changes of the landscape since the battle. I photographed the old stone house, and in Greenwood cemetery. Areas where the battle took place. One such part of the battle story was the evacuation of the American army from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Today the area of Fulton landing where the event happened, is a favorite tourist spot with majestic views of lower Manhattan. I came up with a photo project that I could do that referenced the event. However the more I thought about it the more I thought it could become an art public event. I could see family and general members of the public participating. Perhaps it could become a yearly event.
Paper boat example
Background- After the fighting around south Brooklyn on August 26,1776. The British and American armies paused and consolidated their positions. General George Washington, realized that his army was trapped with its back to the East River. If the British army attacked again he may be forced to surrender the whole of his army. Fortunately, rain and bad weather moved in, covering NY harbor with dense fog. Washington, seeing this as his opportunity, decided to retreat across the East river from Brooklyn to Manhattan. On the night of August 29/30 1776 with the help of hundreds of small boats and experienced whaling sailors from Massachusetts. Washington was able to successfully evacuate the entire army to Manhattan before the British found out they were gone. Thus saving the new American army from capture and destruction. So that they may live to fight another time and eventually win independence.
My idea is a way to commemorate this historical event. Simply I would construct small boats out of folded paper. Like above. Much like children do. It would be nice to put candles or simple lights on them. Like I've seen with water lantern festivals in Asia. See latern pictures for reference. These simple boats could then be launched from Pebble Beach that is located between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridge. See map below. This place is close to Fulton Ferry and best of all it provides direct water access. The fragility of the paper boats represents the fragility of the new America and the first battle of the American Army. The light has many different condemnations, freedom, remembrance, etc.
This could become a yearly family event at sunset or later. People would make their own paper boats and launch them into the waters of the small bay at Pebble Beach. It would be a fantastic image with numerous illuminated small paper boats with the Manhattan skyline as a background. I don't know how the boats would be recovered or if they sank. Maybe if only paper it wouldn't be too much of a pollution risk. People could be on kayaks stationed in the water and could fish out boats before they moved to the open water of the East river.
This year is the 250th anniversary of the battle. It is too late to organize such an event so it is just a thought for the future if anyone is interested in organizing something like this. I guess it would require coordinating with park officials etc.
