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David Eustace’s recent exhibition, Project For Canal, is a literal litmus test that offers evidence from the field of the state of the environment.
Before hanging in the pristine remove of the gallery at the Brooklyn Artist’s Gym, Eustace’s canvases were suspended in the Gowanus Canal - absorbing a fetid, fecal/industrial stew that makes it one of the most toxic bodies of water in New York, no kidding. Imploring corrective action to recalibrate the human relationship to Nature, these canvases are landscape paintings in the most direct sense.
In conjunction with the exhibit, Eustace facilitated self-guided canoe trips of the Canal with the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club as well as boat tours hosted by the Urban Divers Estuary Conservancy.
I was fortunate to snag a touring spot on the 21-seat canoe with Ludger Balan of Urban Divers. After a sober warning of the dangers of coming in physical contact with the water, Balan led us on a fascinating expedition: The storied history of the Canal, components of its harrowing toxic brew and the potential that a revitalized canal presents to Brooklyn and its wildlife all figure into the tale.
Balan’s take away point was that the time for clean-up is right now – before further development hinders its likelihood.
While rowing across the freakishly still surface of the canal, thick rubber gloves averting any chance skin contact with the water, I was aware of the false security of localized prophylactics.
As we learn in school, our bodies are mostly water. Given the hydrologic cycle and the permeability of tissue, the canal is literally flowing through our veins. We may protest or yearn to find remedy in NIMBY- not in my back yard – strategies. But as Eustace’s work reminds, it’s all backyard.
