Acamonchi Sketching New York City

I am a Mexican-born graphic designer and visual artist who moved to New York after living for 12 years in San Diego. After leaving my art studio in sunny San Diego in time to experience the most frigid New York winter in a decade, I found myself feeling disoriented, overwhelmed, alienated, alone—and unemployed. And, without the ability to relieve stress through riding my bike through the city, I had to look for another artistic and emotional outlet!

I found this on the train one day, when absent-mindedly sketching figures in the subway with a chisel-tipped sharpie. Because of the fast pace of the city, I was forced to work quickly to capture the behaviors of unsuspecting passengers: sleeping, frantically playing video games or simply reading newspapers. When it got too cold, I would duck into a Starbucks to observe life both inside the café and out the window onto the street.

Basically, the product that I hope to create would be 100 bound monograph art books. The books would contain both word and image, and would document, through quick, gestural sketches and accompanying text, my exploration of New York City from an outsider's standpoint. As the city’s inhabitants begin unpeeling layers of insulated clothing, they will also begin to metaphorically reveal themselves as the weather gets warmer. I will also capture the changes in nature as winter evolves into spring, then summer.

To me the idea of sketching comes from the need to understand human complexity and its ever- changing environment. I want to capture the essence of New York’s daily life. New York is a beautiful and inspiring city; I don’t wish to be confined to working in my apartment. I want to venture out and be embraced by the fast pace of the city so that I can translate it to my sketches.

In order to complete this project, I'll need to purchase daily triple-espressos, monthly Metrocards, a bunch of Sharpies and sketchbooks, a digital camera, a MacBook laptop, as well as funding to produce self-promotional materials (postcards, business cards and stickers).

Thanks in advance!

-gErardo yEpiz

Project location: New York, NY