Carrying On

2004 Prince Street (N, R) New York City Transit

“Carrying On” is composed of almost two hundred silhouettes of people hauling stuff with them as they walk the city streets. The artists, Janet Zweig and Edward Del Rosario worked from photographs of individuals moving around the city and in and out of the subway. According to them, the title of “Carrying On” can be interpreted in a variety of ways. "People on the streets of New York are almost always carrying something, sometimes something huge and outlandish. After the 9/11 tragedy, New Yorkers felt that they must carry on with their lives. Finally, New Yorkers are notoriously opinionated and lively; they really do 'carry on.'" The result is a linear narrative work of miniature figures, each of whom has a story it is up to the viewer to discern. It is an engaging work that represents the community and updates the materials used on subway station walls, with its waterjet-cut steel and marble, that achieves both precision and a modern take on the traditional frieze.