Back in the Park

“This is a work that evolved out of play and a sudden impulse. I had been recording footage for a work in Midtown Manhattan. On one particular occasion it was not a productive day for me. As a result I felt a bit stressed out, and began to just drift through the streets. It was a cool and pleasant afternoon. There were a lot of people relaxing at Bryant Park, so I stepped into the park myself. Within less than a minute, and without a conscious motive in mind, I grabbed the camera out of my pocket and began to exercise my own form of pleasure and relaxation: moving the camera through space, caressing or playing with shapes, and forms as well as shadows. Later on, in spirit of that afternoon and out of the recorded footage, I composed Back in the Park.” - Ernie Gehr