A VISUAL RECORD OF SEPTEMBER 11TH George Harkins (cont’d from pg. 160) We went to the TKTS office located in the South Tower to buy discounted theater tickets and, as usual, there was a long line of people waiting for the office to open. I sat on the floor with some visitors from out of town and we chatted about the city while Randy did what a thirteen-year-old does: he roamed around taking pictures and buying ice cream. After purchasing our tickets, we took the express elevator to the observation deck. We were able to see the Statue of Liberty, the Atlantic Ocean beyond the Verrazano Bridge, the Empire State Building and Manhattan all the way to the Bronx. On our way back to the elevators, Randy wanted to stop at the souvenir shop to purchase gifts for his brother and sister. (5) The lady who helped him with his selection was very pleasant and patient. I thought about her and the others who worked in the Twin Towers a few weeks later as clouds of black smoke engulfed the tops of the towers. Throughout the day of the attack, a thousand feet away, I photographed the drama before me from the roof of our Tribeca building and down on the streets below. In the aftermath, as an unexpected witness to history, I walked the neighborhood streets and circled the site every day, sometimes alone, sometimes with Shirley getting
as close as was permitted, to experience, observe and record the activity and atmosphere. The attack has never been far from my mind in the months and years since 9/11, and I wanted to leave an historical account for future generations to view. After experimenting with different media, I decided to use pen and ink and watercolor to create smaller, intimate artworks. I found this technique suited to expressing what I had witnessed. The notion of having the works tell a story — a visual diary, I’ve included only events and scenes that I witnessed — surfaced only after most of these pieces were completed. It also became apparent that an accompanying text would help explain the everyday experiences of New Yorkers caught in proximity to Ground Zero. When it was clear that what was taking place was actually an attack and an act of war, we knew our lives had been changed, but not how much or in what way. For us, 9/11 is never past: we live with its effects: uncertainty and coping with the fear of another attack. In the decade that has passed, the feeling that we lost a way of life has deepened. Still, the city of that glorious July week that my grandson spent with us will always be the city I remember fondly — the fountains and flowers, the clever mimes in the parks, the people enjoying the warm days of summer. As New Yorkers, we choose to be here and live in this wonderful city. The banners we hung out of our windows proclaimed the slogan coined by a neighbor, “Here to Stay.” And we are.
ARTWORK
(1) 8:48 a.m. Thomas Street, 9"x7", Pen and Ink and Watercolor. Copyright © 2008 by George Harkins (2) Crowd on West Broadway, 9-1/4"x13", Pen and Ink and Watercolor, Copyright © 2009 by George Harkins. (3) One Tower Down, 8-1/4"x11", Pen and Ink and Watercolor, Copyright © 2008 by George Harkins (4) Greenwich Street, 7"x10", Pen and Ink and Watercolor, Copyright © 2009 by George Harkins (5) Duane Street, Rooftop, 10"x7", Pen and Ink and Watercolor, Copyright © 2008 by George Harkins
162
P H A T I’T U D E LITERARYMAGAZINE