Chelsea River Sunset

Driving home along the Chelsea River tonight at sunset I caught a glimpse of a moment that summed up my feelings about leaving this town and moving back to NYC...at least for the time being.


These old oil (gas?) tanks seem to be in the midst of being dismantled, and one of the caps with the #7 lays in the foreground. It almost looks like the wing or tail of an old downed fighter plane, perhaps one of the fighters from my earliest drawing memories in second grade. (see earlier post with "Statement Of Purpose" for NYAA). The barbed wire fence trying to keep me in...or out, but not for long. 


The coloring of the clouds and reflection off the buildings on the far side of the river look, ironically, like the result of a burning city. (On April 12, 1908, nearly half the city was destroyed in the First Great Chelsea Fire. In 1973, the Second Great Chelsea Fire burned 18 city blocks.)


And beyond the steel wire barbed, the fallen fighter wing and monstrous silver-gold fuel tanks, beyond the fire red reflections on the buildings along the river banks Chelsea, past the burning clouds at sunset and into the clear cerulean sky lies New York City.
My Big City Mistress. 
I'll be there soon.

Chelsea River Sunset  • June 29th, 2012 • © Ian Factor