The Queens Museum sits on the old World’s Fairgrounds

The Queens Museum sits on the old World’s Fairgrounds

 Phragmites is an invasive species that grows at Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

Phragmites is an invasive species that grows at Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

 I started harvesting the reeds

I started harvesting the reeds

 in August of 2008.

in August of 2008.

 Soon I realized I needed help.

Soon I realized I needed help.

 I got brave volunteers from Craigslist,

I got brave volunteers from Craigslist,

 from word of mouth,

from word of mouth,

 from loyal old friends,

from loyal old friends,

 along with the underbelly…

along with the underbelly…

 …of the New York boat world.

…of the New York boat world.

011_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
 The harvesting stretched into the fall.

The harvesting stretched into the fall.

 And then on into winter.

And then on into winter.

 While harvesting, we removed leaves

While harvesting, we removed leaves

 from the reeds, 

from the reeds, 

 …to make paper.

…to make paper.

 I had pulled a double all-nighter…

I had pulled a double all-nighter…

 …prepping the leaves.

…prepping the leaves.

 But papermaster Anne McKeown and Allison Lindblom

But papermaster Anne McKeown and Allison Lindblom

 explained the papermaking process.

explained the papermaking process.

 They used a lot of terms like ‘agitated fingering’,

They used a lot of terms like ‘agitated fingering’,

 ‘beating the cooch’,

‘beating the cooch’,

 and ‘putting a cockle in the cooch’.

and ‘putting a cockle in the cooch’.

 These terms were a little confusing to me in my delirious state.

These terms were a little confusing to me in my delirious state.

 I saw this old engraving of a naumachia.

I saw this old engraving of a naumachia.

 And I had a déjà vu.

And I had a déjà vu.

 So I proposed this space for my project and they said no.

So I proposed this space for my project and they said no.

 Then we proposed this space and they said no.

Then we proposed this space and they said no.

 Then we proposed this space and they said no.

Then we proposed this space and they said no.

 Then we proposed this space and they said no. 

Then we proposed this space and they said no. 

 But they said we could use it

But they said we could use it

 as a studio…

as a studio…

 …until its scheduled asbestos abatement.

…until its scheduled asbestos abatement.

 we could also re-use as many of the old materials as we wanted.

we could also re-use as many of the old materials as we wanted.

 The first boat was modeled after an Egyptian papyrus reed boat.

The first boat was modeled after an Egyptian papyrus reed boat.

 The boats in naumachias were commonly fashioned…

The boats in naumachias were commonly fashioned…

 …after non-Roman historic vessels.

…after non-Roman historic vessels.

 Reeds seemed to me like a safer material to take into battle.

Reeds seemed to me like a safer material to take into battle.

 But I wasn’t sure if the phrag would be as buoyant as papyrus.

But I wasn’t sure if the phrag would be as buoyant as papyrus.

 So we decided to bolster them…

So we decided to bolster them…

 …with foam.

…with foam.

 Fortunately, the hockey rink floor was lined with foam.

Fortunately, the hockey rink floor was lined with foam.

 As are some local beaches in Queens.

As are some local beaches in Queens.

 To get to the foam we had to curl up the rink’s Freon coils.

To get to the foam we had to curl up the rink’s Freon coils.

 The coils reminded me of the way I draw water.

The coils reminded me of the way I draw water.

 So I saved them for the final installation.

So I saved them for the final installation.

048_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
 My friend, Aymar, was an early advisor.

My friend, Aymar, was an early advisor.

 So I modeled a boat…

So I modeled a boat…

 …after the ones where he is from at Lake Titicaca.

…after the ones where he is from at Lake Titicaca.

 Then I decided to make a battleship...

Then I decided to make a battleship...

 …and dedicate it to Brooklyn.

…and dedicate it to Brooklyn.

 The rink leftovers even had huge buckets of battleship grey paint.

The rink leftovers even had huge buckets of battleship grey paint.

 Or maybe it was the paint that was the inspiration. 

Or maybe it was the paint that was the inspiration. 

 I realized we needed to go to greater extremes…

I realized we needed to go to greater extremes…

 …to lure in volunteers as summer progressed.

…to lure in volunteers as summer progressed.

 Especially as it got hotter in the rink.

Especially as it got hotter in the rink.

 I noticed there are mulberry trees throughout the park,

I noticed there are mulberry trees throughout the park,

 and they were perfectly ripe.

and they were perfectly ripe.

 So we started shaking down the trees every morning,

So we started shaking down the trees every morning,

 …to harvest the berries.

…to harvest the berries.

 and make deliciously boozy mulberry coolers in the evening.

and make deliciously boozy mulberry coolers in the evening.

 It seemed to boost morale.

It seemed to boost morale.

 Booze and power tools are always a great combo.

Booze and power tools are always a great combo.

 Booze and power tools are always a great combo.

Booze and power tools are always a great combo.

 …to make the backdrop for the Coliseum.

…to make the backdrop for the Coliseum.

 We found a room full of decades-old paint to use.

We found a room full of decades-old paint to use.

 My old friend, Oliver Jeffers, and Saxon Brice came up with an efficient plan.  

My old friend, Oliver Jeffers, and Saxon Brice came up with an efficient plan.  

 Oars made from wood paneling and old hockey sticks.

Oars made from wood paneling and old hockey sticks.

 We found Styrofoam sculptures in the trash.

We found Styrofoam sculptures in the trash.

 So we re-shaped them into zebras.

So we re-shaped them into zebras.

 Then gave them manes made from reel-to-reel tapes we found in the dj booth.

Then gave them manes made from reel-to-reel tapes we found in the dj booth.

 Gary Ryan did some detail work.

Gary Ryan did some detail work.

 My nemesis, the Queen Mary 2.

My nemesis, the Queen Mary 2.

076_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
 Finally we got approval on a location and rushed out to measure it.

Finally we got approval on a location and rushed out to measure it.

 We were mainly worried that the pig boat that Jade Townsend was building…

We were mainly worried that the pig boat that Jade Townsend was building…

 Would be too big and heavy to float in the pool.

Would be too big and heavy to float in the pool.

 Bill Powhida came out and helped work on the pig.

Bill Powhida came out and helped work on the pig.

081_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
 We made 400 togas for people who showed up without. 

We made 400 togas for people who showed up without. 

 Diane Dwyer and Brendan Carney made cardboard armor.

Diane Dwyer and Brendan Carney made cardboard armor.

 Others painted cantaloupes for cannonballs.

Others painted cantaloupes for cannonballs.

 Lara Allen came by to practice her performance.

Lara Allen came by to practice her performance.

086_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
 Sofia Maldonado making battle helmets

Sofia Maldonado making battle helmets

 Tom Robinson, Hans Maharawal and their friends…

Tom Robinson, Hans Maharawal and their friends…

 …built a canoe from the rink walls.

…built a canoe from the rink walls.

 Countdown calendar to the event.

Countdown calendar to the event.

 Karen Merz fashioned ‘laurel wreaths’ from leftover rink xmas decorations.

Karen Merz fashioned ‘laurel wreaths’ from leftover rink xmas decorations.

 Philippe and Tanasia rigged up the set

Philippe and Tanasia rigged up the set

 Plenty of sand in the rink to make sandbags for staging.

Plenty of sand in the rink to make sandbags for staging.

094_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
095_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
 Preparing the pyrotechnics for the Queen Mary 2

Preparing the pyrotechnics for the Queen Mary 2

 The Staten Island Ferry was made from ceiling tiles like the Coliseum.

The Staten Island Ferry was made from ceiling tiles like the Coliseum.

 Sully Ross helped me to hang the silk and garbage bag sail.

Sully Ross helped me to hang the silk and garbage bag sail.

 We rented Caligula for inspiration.

We rented Caligula for inspiration.

 Xavier Smith made armor

Xavier Smith made armor

 Staten Island Ferry likes big butts and it can’t deny.

Staten Island Ferry likes big butts and it can’t deny.

 8 boats ready for battle.

8 boats ready for battle.

 Gotta have dead bodies to fling around.

Gotta have dead bodies to fling around.

 Queens Museum intern, He-Wang

Queens Museum intern, He-Wang

 Kitty Joe steps on a big-ass nail.

Kitty Joe steps on a big-ass nail.

 Stefanie Badwey assembling the set.

Stefanie Badwey assembling the set.

 The old hockey lockers became the foundation for the set.

The old hockey lockers became the foundation for the set.

 Moving day.

Moving day.

109_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
 Flooding the fountain with 70,000 gallons of water.

Flooding the fountain with 70,000 gallons of water.

 The engineers from the hockey rink seemed to be having the most fun

The engineers from the hockey rink seemed to be having the most fun

 Miraculously, all of the boats floated.

Miraculously, all of the boats floated.

 Indispensible Arnie.

Indispensible Arnie.

114_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
 Ryan to the rescue

Ryan to the rescue

 The cantaloupe canons started to rot too fast

The cantaloupe canons started to rot too fast

 On the other hand, the tomatoes were still deliciously firm

On the other hand, the tomatoes were still deliciously firm

 A Queens Museum intern had to microwave them all

A Queens Museum intern had to microwave them all

 By the order of the emperor…

By the order of the emperor…

 Yumi Nakamari and Sarah Merenda preparing the Emperor’s Pavillion.

Yumi Nakamari and Sarah Merenda preparing the Emperor’s Pavillion.

 6am Event Day: Drunkenly trying to warn people not to bring their children.

6am Event Day: Drunkenly trying to warn people not to bring their children.

 Gabriel was the imperial DJ

Gabriel was the imperial DJ

 with Project Manager, Kitty Joe Sainte-Marie

with Project Manager, Kitty Joe Sainte-Marie

 The day after—surveying the aftermath.

The day after—surveying the aftermath.

 20 hour clean up in the sun

20 hour clean up in the sun

126_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
 David Strauss came by with a QMA peace offering amidst the destruction.

David Strauss came by with a QMA peace offering amidst the destruction.

 The Queens Museum sits on the old World’s Fairgrounds
 Phragmites is an invasive species that grows at Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
 I started harvesting the reeds
 in August of 2008.
 Soon I realized I needed help.
 I got brave volunteers from Craigslist,
 from word of mouth,
 from loyal old friends,
 along with the underbelly…
 …of the New York boat world.
011_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
 The harvesting stretched into the fall.
 And then on into winter.
 While harvesting, we removed leaves
 from the reeds, 
 …to make paper.
 I had pulled a double all-nighter…
 …prepping the leaves.
 But papermaster Anne McKeown and Allison Lindblom
 explained the papermaking process.
 They used a lot of terms like ‘agitated fingering’,
 ‘beating the cooch’,
 and ‘putting a cockle in the cooch’.
 These terms were a little confusing to me in my delirious state.
 I saw this old engraving of a naumachia.
 And I had a déjà vu.
 So I proposed this space for my project and they said no.
 Then we proposed this space and they said no.
 Then we proposed this space and they said no.
 Then we proposed this space and they said no. 
 But they said we could use it
 as a studio…
 …until its scheduled asbestos abatement.
 we could also re-use as many of the old materials as we wanted.
 The first boat was modeled after an Egyptian papyrus reed boat.
 The boats in naumachias were commonly fashioned…
 …after non-Roman historic vessels.
 Reeds seemed to me like a safer material to take into battle.
 But I wasn’t sure if the phrag would be as buoyant as papyrus.
 So we decided to bolster them…
 …with foam.
 Fortunately, the hockey rink floor was lined with foam.
 As are some local beaches in Queens.
 To get to the foam we had to curl up the rink’s Freon coils.
 The coils reminded me of the way I draw water.
 So I saved them for the final installation.
048_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
 My friend, Aymar, was an early advisor.
 So I modeled a boat…
 …after the ones where he is from at Lake Titicaca.
 Then I decided to make a battleship...
 …and dedicate it to Brooklyn.
 The rink leftovers even had huge buckets of battleship grey paint.
 Or maybe it was the paint that was the inspiration. 
 I realized we needed to go to greater extremes…
 …to lure in volunteers as summer progressed.
 Especially as it got hotter in the rink.
 I noticed there are mulberry trees throughout the park,
 and they were perfectly ripe.
 So we started shaking down the trees every morning,
 …to harvest the berries.
 and make deliciously boozy mulberry coolers in the evening.
 It seemed to boost morale.
 Booze and power tools are always a great combo.
 Booze and power tools are always a great combo.
 …to make the backdrop for the Coliseum.
 We found a room full of decades-old paint to use.
 My old friend, Oliver Jeffers, and Saxon Brice came up with an efficient plan.  
 Oars made from wood paneling and old hockey sticks.
 We found Styrofoam sculptures in the trash.
 So we re-shaped them into zebras.
 Then gave them manes made from reel-to-reel tapes we found in the dj booth.
 Gary Ryan did some detail work.
 My nemesis, the Queen Mary 2.
076_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
 Finally we got approval on a location and rushed out to measure it.
 We were mainly worried that the pig boat that Jade Townsend was building…
 Would be too big and heavy to float in the pool.
 Bill Powhida came out and helped work on the pig.
081_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
 We made 400 togas for people who showed up without. 
 Diane Dwyer and Brendan Carney made cardboard armor.
 Others painted cantaloupes for cannonballs.
 Lara Allen came by to practice her performance.
086_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
 Sofia Maldonado making battle helmets
 Tom Robinson, Hans Maharawal and their friends…
 …built a canoe from the rink walls.
 Countdown calendar to the event.
 Karen Merz fashioned ‘laurel wreaths’ from leftover rink xmas decorations.
 Philippe and Tanasia rigged up the set
 Plenty of sand in the rink to make sandbags for staging.
094_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
095_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
 Preparing the pyrotechnics for the Queen Mary 2
 The Staten Island Ferry was made from ceiling tiles like the Coliseum.
 Sully Ross helped me to hang the silk and garbage bag sail.
 We rented Caligula for inspiration.
 Xavier Smith made armor
 Staten Island Ferry likes big butts and it can’t deny.
 8 boats ready for battle.
 Gotta have dead bodies to fling around.
 Queens Museum intern, He-Wang
 Kitty Joe steps on a big-ass nail.
 Stefanie Badwey assembling the set.
 The old hockey lockers became the foundation for the set.
 Moving day.
109_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
 Flooding the fountain with 70,000 gallons of water.
 The engineers from the hockey rink seemed to be having the most fun
 Miraculously, all of the boats floated.
 Indispensible Arnie.
114_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
 Ryan to the rescue
 The cantaloupe canons started to rot too fast
 On the other hand, the tomatoes were still deliciously firm
 A Queens Museum intern had to microwave them all
 By the order of the emperor…
 Yumi Nakamari and Sarah Merenda preparing the Emperor’s Pavillion.
 6am Event Day: Drunkenly trying to warn people not to bring their children.
 Gabriel was the imperial DJ
 with Project Manager, Kitty Joe Sainte-Marie
 The day after—surveying the aftermath.
 20 hour clean up in the sun
126_TATDSY_PROCESS.jpg
 David Strauss came by with a QMA peace offering amidst the destruction.

The Queens Museum sits on the old World’s Fairgrounds

Phragmites is an invasive species that grows at Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

I started harvesting the reeds

in August of 2008.

Soon I realized I needed help.

I got brave volunteers from Craigslist,

from word of mouth,

from loyal old friends,

along with the underbelly…

…of the New York boat world.

The harvesting stretched into the fall.

And then on into winter.

While harvesting, we removed leaves

from the reeds, 

…to make paper.

I had pulled a double all-nighter…

…prepping the leaves.

But papermaster Anne McKeown and Allison Lindblom

explained the papermaking process.

They used a lot of terms like ‘agitated fingering’,

‘beating the cooch’,

and ‘putting a cockle in the cooch’.

These terms were a little confusing to me in my delirious state.

I saw this old engraving of a naumachia.

And I had a déjà vu.

So I proposed this space for my project and they said no.

Then we proposed this space and they said no.

Then we proposed this space and they said no.

Then we proposed this space and they said no. 

But they said we could use it

as a studio…

…until its scheduled asbestos abatement.

we could also re-use as many of the old materials as we wanted.

The first boat was modeled after an Egyptian papyrus reed boat.

The boats in naumachias were commonly fashioned…

…after non-Roman historic vessels.

Reeds seemed to me like a safer material to take into battle.

But I wasn’t sure if the phrag would be as buoyant as papyrus.

So we decided to bolster them…

…with foam.

Fortunately, the hockey rink floor was lined with foam.

As are some local beaches in Queens.

To get to the foam we had to curl up the rink’s Freon coils.

The coils reminded me of the way I draw water.

So I saved them for the final installation.

My friend, Aymar, was an early advisor.

So I modeled a boat…

…after the ones where he is from at Lake Titicaca.

Then I decided to make a battleship...

…and dedicate it to Brooklyn.

The rink leftovers even had huge buckets of battleship grey paint.

Or maybe it was the paint that was the inspiration. 

I realized we needed to go to greater extremes…

…to lure in volunteers as summer progressed.

Especially as it got hotter in the rink.

I noticed there are mulberry trees throughout the park,

and they were perfectly ripe.

So we started shaking down the trees every morning,

…to harvest the berries.

and make deliciously boozy mulberry coolers in the evening.

It seemed to boost morale.

Booze and power tools are always a great combo.

Booze and power tools are always a great combo.

…to make the backdrop for the Coliseum.

We found a room full of decades-old paint to use.

My old friend, Oliver Jeffers, and Saxon Brice came up with an efficient plan.  

Oars made from wood paneling and old hockey sticks.

We found Styrofoam sculptures in the trash.

So we re-shaped them into zebras.

Then gave them manes made from reel-to-reel tapes we found in the dj booth.

Gary Ryan did some detail work.

My nemesis, the Queen Mary 2.

Finally we got approval on a location and rushed out to measure it.

We were mainly worried that the pig boat that Jade Townsend was building…

Would be too big and heavy to float in the pool.

Bill Powhida came out and helped work on the pig.

We made 400 togas for people who showed up without. 

Diane Dwyer and Brendan Carney made cardboard armor.

Others painted cantaloupes for cannonballs.

Lara Allen came by to practice her performance.

Sofia Maldonado making battle helmets

Tom Robinson, Hans Maharawal and their friends…

…built a canoe from the rink walls.

Countdown calendar to the event.

Karen Merz fashioned ‘laurel wreaths’ from leftover rink xmas decorations.

Philippe and Tanasia rigged up the set

Plenty of sand in the rink to make sandbags for staging.

Preparing the pyrotechnics for the Queen Mary 2

The Staten Island Ferry was made from ceiling tiles like the Coliseum.

Sully Ross helped me to hang the silk and garbage bag sail.

We rented Caligula for inspiration.

Xavier Smith made armor

Staten Island Ferry likes big butts and it can’t deny.

8 boats ready for battle.

Gotta have dead bodies to fling around.

Queens Museum intern, He-Wang

Kitty Joe steps on a big-ass nail.

Stefanie Badwey assembling the set.

The old hockey lockers became the foundation for the set.

Moving day.

Flooding the fountain with 70,000 gallons of water.

The engineers from the hockey rink seemed to be having the most fun

Miraculously, all of the boats floated.

Indispensible Arnie.

Ryan to the rescue

The cantaloupe canons started to rot too fast

On the other hand, the tomatoes were still deliciously firm

A Queens Museum intern had to microwave them all

By the order of the emperor…

Yumi Nakamari and Sarah Merenda preparing the Emperor’s Pavillion.

6am Event Day: Drunkenly trying to warn people not to bring their children.

Gabriel was the imperial DJ

with Project Manager, Kitty Joe Sainte-Marie

The day after—surveying the aftermath.

20 hour clean up in the sun

David Strauss came by with a QMA peace offering amidst the destruction.

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