Catherine Murphy
My project explores the idiosyncrasies and details of a small park in downtown Manhattan named Stuyvesant Square.
While photographing, I started to notice the seemingly inevitable feeling of loneliness that permeates every corner of the park. This space appears to be in progress—discarded items and misplaced garbage cans make their home among bits of lovely, untended nature. People and animals pass through the four quadrants of the park, sometimes staying a while and often leaving behind traces of their presence. Though stationary, the park experiences the world in the most transitory way; how does this affect its aesthetic?
I find this park to have its own sort of wild, sequestered beauty that suggests a deeply rich and unexpected spirit. I intend to continue documenting its identity by representing the neglected and half-finished details of the space in a noble light, for this is where its offbeat character is most present, concentrated, and genuine.