This is my 2019 senior thesis project where I tried to rework a traumatic experience that had happened a year prior. I was interning in NYC and was taking the subway home late at night. I passed a man sitting down on the stairs to the platform. We were alone and I looked up, he rolled up his tattered sleeve and shot up. I was mortified and tried to avoid making any contact. A few minutes later I heard faint gurgling noises and met his half opened eyes staring at me. His mouth was opened and drool started to pool. He had overdosed and died by the time police responded. I had so many unprocessed emotions of horror, shock, sorrow, confusion, frustration, and disappointment.
I’ve recreated pieces of the subway and adding texts as a warning. The floor is taped in a maze controlling the viewers movement through the space. The deconstructed designs of the tiles are paired with a an imprint of a syringe in concrete on the walls. The bust stands 6’ tall and is slightly looking up allowing the viewers intercept the gaze.
