• Tide and Current Taxi: 2021

I left early for Mill Rock with Karin Bravin and John Lee, launching from the beach at Randals Island.

The water was like glass in the Harlem River,

and then like the back of a slowly twisting serpent as we passed through Hell’s Gate.

We landed in a little inlet made perfectly for a boat my size.

The seagulls were crying over our heads

and soon we found out why.

The trees were filled with baby cormorants, almost as big as their parents, peering quietly down from nests.

There were a few signs of old structures, former inhabitants

old metal fastenings on the bank, like this pirate’s scabbard.

Just like us, most things here seem to have floated over, or flown.

It was easy to forget that we were 200 yards from one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

From our alternate reality,

we watched Manhattan through the trees.

We took our time on the way home to explore the bank,

under an old pier.

This would be a good place for an art show, said Karin.

Of course, she has an eye for site-specific exhibition locations, like her current one “Re:Growth, a Celebration of Art, Riverside Park and the New York Spirit.” showing now on the very west side of Manhattan from 64th to 151st Streets.  (Here is the full page spread in the NY  Times last week about it!)

Karin organized a show there 2006, and in a small way, the Tide and Current Taxi sort of participated!

Back then, McKendree Key installed a beautiful piece called North Overlook (here is McKendree’s picture of it.)

One night she needed help reattaching some of the anchors, it became a mission for the Tide and Current Taxi.

Karin and I talked about those old pictures and how social media has changed the way we see public art, landmarks, lines of sight, destinations.

I used to think of the Tide and Current Taxi, my camera, boat, as a single portal, looking back at the city, now there are many.

I posted my picture of Manhattan on Instagram.

“I’m waving from my window!” said @the_rachelgolub,

and she really was.