every person in new york. volume 1

Thankyoumom,dad,Jamie,Jennifer,allofthePolansandTurells,JulieandMichelle,OmarAhmad,JakeBrege,IngaBrege,FritzSwansonandfamily,MaraCazers,RichJacobs,MichaelWorful,EvaRogers,MikeLovato,MeredithZielke,WalterGreen,RobinCameron,AlecSoth,KristenWiig,HansSeeger,KatieMcDonough,MichaelSilverberg,AndySpade,AnthonySperduti,DanKarmel,theMaisners,CassieFrank,EmilyForland,MelanieFlood,TodLippy,ChristinaAmini,CharlieWard,AngieWolney,DanWroblewski,MiaPearlman,SueChapman,PaolaAntonelli,DavidSenior,ShannonMichaelCane,Jeremy,HeidiandAbigailSanders,OferandBillie,JayRyan,theSilvermans,theGoldmans,PhilAarons,Peter,Hannah,HazelandJoni,BretteWarshaw,PriyaKrishna,ChrisYing,RachelKhong,EliHorowitz,AndrewLeland,StevenKatz,ToddSelby,JordanBass,AndiMudd,BrianMcMullen,JuliaColavita,HuyVu,GaryPanter,BruceVilanch,theHoffmans,ElizabethCraneBrandt,MattSinger,JanelleSing,theLevines,DerekErdman,DerekFagerstrom,LaurenSmith,StarleeKine,LianaFinck,KristenJoyWatts,SamValenti,ElaineBleakney,TaraWray,ColinMatthes,MakealFlammini,JacqueSchiller,EricWhite,JasonPorter,DanielDavidson,TriciaKeightley,JenBekman,NionMcEvoy,JenniferDaniel,KateCunningham,KathleenHenderson,Tonya

Douraghy,KathyRyan,StaceyBaker,BillBurgard,RobertMankoff,TedLasala,RobertaSmith,JerrySaltz,BillPowers,JackPendarvis,MaryandMatt,ErikHeywood,MordechaiRubinstein,StefanMarx,NancyFord,ChrisWare,theBeckers,Sarah,Eric,Kim,Alec,Fumiko,Angie,Shayne,Susan,Lee,Abbey,Janet,Brett—andeveryoneatCriterion,theHeadlands,HelenCho,JoshSafdie,JohnGall,DaveKloc,RichardRenaldi,SilviaKillingsworth,NicolasNeubeck,UrsulaLiang,BowmanHastie,AbbyClawsonLow,AndyBeach,LaurenDouglas,JamesSterlingPitt,AmandaHakan,MarkGonzales,AmyStein,JohnGordon,JennyTondera,KatieHatch,NoahKalina,ShawnCreeden,TinaRothEisenberg,JasonKottke,TomSlaughter,TravisMillard,MelKadel,PeterSutherland,AndrewSutherland,MaiaRuthLee,DustinHostetler,LeleSaveri,CaraLevine,LindaCyrus,AliciaHamilton,JasonFulford,TamaraShopsin,LeanneShapton,RichardMcGuire,NickRobinson,LeeSmith,VictorKerlow,JoanaAvillez,TomSachs.EmilySugihara,JaneMount,AngelDormer,PorousWalker,JockoWeyland,WadeOates,AvivaMichaelov,BrianRea,TacoBell,AnthonySpadaro,JavasLehn,RubaAbu-Nimah,DavidStrettell,BetsyClifton,MiwaSusuda,SarahatColette,MaxFenton,MarcelDzama,TuckerNichols,DakinandNancyHart,BenShahn,JackKirby,AndyWarhol,KeithHaring,WilliamSteig,J.D.Salinger,DonDeLillo,Saul

Steinberg,C.S.LedbetterIII,GaryFogelson,PhilLubliner,RyanWaller,DavidLaSpina,JenSnow,MollieEdgar,AshleyGates,SusanHootstein,JordinIsip,JamesUlmer,MattLeines,BrainBelott,TaylorMcKimens,JeffMaser,KyleGarner,SueChan,ChristinaTosi,MargueriteMariscal,JenBilik,MarcoGarcia,TaubaAuerbach,HarrisonHaynes,ChloeSeymore,DanielArnold,FabiolaAlondra,LeighGraniello,LarryClark,JohanKugelberg,BrianPaulLamotte,AndreasLaszloKonrath,MikeSlack,TriciaGabriel,KevinLyons,RussandDaughters,GinaAmante,GabrielleBell,JoeBrainard,GlennHorowitz,JerstinCrosby,JimGoldberg,GeofDarrow,AlexToth,Moebius,CarrieThompson,RickBoven,GrahamTolbert,DanielleMericle,RonJude,EdPanar,BradZellar,BillThelen,SaraDistin,EricElms.

IhopeIdidn’tforgettowriteyournameonthislist.IfIdidIamprobablythinkingaboutyourightnow.

contentsFOREWORD5INTRODUCTION720081220096420101402011212201226620133242014380

foreword

Jason’sdrawingsareeffortlesslysimple,detailed,engaging,andseeminglyquick.Theyaretheperfectreflectionofthebeautifulanduniquepeopleofthiscity.Seeingasparkinsomeoneastheyhustlebyorjustsitonabenchintheparkforhours...Ifwestoptocatchthesemoments,it’sveryeasytorememberwhyweloveNewYork.Andthisbookisfullofthosemoments.Thisbookisthosemoments.

KristenWiig

introductionIdidaprojectincollegecalled“IWanttoKnowAllofYou.”IdreweverypersonintheartschoolandshowedtheworkinagridatagalleryinAnnArbor.Itconsistedofabout800portraitsonindividualsheetsofcream-coloredpaper.ItriedtobeaccuratewithdrawingthepeopleIknew,butIdidn’tknowwhatalotofthepeoplelookedlikesoImadethingsup.Eachportraitwaslabeledwithastudent’sname,soeachstudenthadone(whetheritlookedlikethemornot).thedrawingswereavailablefor$10each,andifthepiecesold,the$10wenttothepersonwhoseportraititwas.Iendeduplosingmoneybecauseipaidthepeoplewhoseportraitssold$10andthegallerytookacutofthe$10beforepayingmeforthesoldworks.

NottoolongafterImovedtoNewYork,Imadeabookcalled“TheEveryPieceofArtinTheMuseumofModernArtBook.”Ilovethemuseumandwantedajobthere.IthoughtIwouldprovehowseriousIwasaboutit.Idreweverypieceofartthatsomeonevisitingthemuseumwouldbeabletosee(withoutgoingintothearchives–IthinkIwouldstillbeworkingontheprojectifIhad).Ididn’tendupgettingajobthere,butIlearnedalotaboutthemuseum:theworks;thespace;thepeoplevisitingit;andthepeopleworkinginit.Iendedupdoingtheprojectagainsevenyearslaterandlearnedevenmore.

Ithenmadeabookcalled“AnEntireBagofPopcorn.”Ipoppedamicrowavablebagofpopcornandpoureditoutonthekitchentableatmyparents’house.Thebigpilewasinfrontofmeandtotheleft.IwouldplacetheindividualpieceofpopcorninfrontofmypapertodrawandafterIdrewitIwouldmovethepieceofpopcorntotheright.Ireallylikedhowtheundrawnpileontheleftgotsmallerasthedrawnpileontherightgotbigger.I

drewallofthekernelsthatwerepoppedandalloftheonesthatwereun-poppedandthendrewthebag.Theprojecttookmeaboutthreehours.

WegottogotoSkykomish,Washington,whenIwaswiththeArtrain—anartexhibithousedinfourvintagerailcarsrunbyanon-profitorganizationfromMichigan.IfoundoutthatthephonebookforSkykomishwasafront-and-backpieceofpaperthathadbeencompiledbymyfriendLinda.Ilovedthis.Ithinkthepopulationwasabout217atthetime.Iwantedtomakeabookcalled“EveryPersoninthePhoneBook.”asIhaddonewiththeartschoolproject,IdrewasmanypeopleasIcouldasaccuratelyasIcould(frommemory)andtherestImadeup(thoughinthiscaseIusedoneofmyparents’oldyearbooksasasourceofpossiblefaces).UsingthenamesonLinda’ssheetasmyguide,Idreweachpersonlistedandfinishedthebook.

Inearly2008,Istartedthinkingaboutthetitle“EveryPersoninNewYork.”Ilikethinkingabouttitles.UsuallyIwillthinkofatitleforsomethingandthenmakethepiece.Forthistitle,Iwasn’tquitesurehoworwhatIwouldactuallydofortheproject.ThereasonIinitiallythoughtofitisbecauseIliketodoprojectsthatinvolvealotofpeople.There’ssomethingabouttheideaofeverypersoninNewYorkthatmymindcouldgetaround,moresothantheideaofeverypersoninAmerica,oreverypersonintheworld.InNewYorkIcouldrealistically,physically,getaroundthecitytodrawmorethanIcouldgetaroundtheentireworld.LivinginNewYorkissomethingIthinkaboutalotandIwaslookingformorewaystolearnaboutit.IknewIwantedtodosomethingdrawing-related(IwantedanexcusetodrawalotmorepeoplebecauseIwantedtogetbetteratmypeopledrawings).AndIhadjuststartedgettingalittlebitcomfortablepostingthingsonblogs.IthoughtablogwouldbeagoodformatbecauseIcouldpostthingsastheprojectprogressed.Peoplecouldfollowalongiftheywanted.

Theprojectisnowoversixyearsold.EverydayIaminNewYorkIdrawforthisproject,andI’vedrawnover30,000people(Istillhaveabittogo).IhopeIhaveimproved(asIwasgoingthroughtheearliersketchpadsfromwhentheprojectwasstarting,Iwouldcringeatsomeofthosedrawings—whichIhopeisagoodsign).

ItrytobeasauthenticwiththedrawingsasIcan.IonlydrawthepersonwhileIcanseethem.Themajorityofthedrawingsaredone(mostly)whileI’mlookingattheperson,notatthepaper.Iftheyaremovingfast,thedrawingisoftenverysimple.Iftheymoveorgetupfromapose,Icannotcheatatallbyfillinginalegthathadbeenfoldedoranarmpointing.Thisiswhysomeofthepeopleinthedrawingsmighthaveanextraarmorleg—ithadmovedwhileIwasdrawingthem.Ithink,hope,thismakesthedrawingsbetter.

Idonotusuallyplantomakeadrawingforthisproject.SometimesI’llgotoaneventtoseeaparticularpersonandwillknowthenthatIwanttodrawthem.Butoftenthedrawingshappencompletelyrandomly.ThereisnosetcriteriaandI’mnotlookingforanythinginparticular.ButasIthinkaboutit,Iusuallydrawpeopleifthey:haveaninterestinghaircut;areleaningacertainway;arealittlekidwhoisdoingsomethingfunnywhilewanderingdownthestreetwiththeirmom;areplayinganaccordion;haveacertaincurvetotheirarm;areholdingsomethinginteresting;haveaninterestingjawlineorlinesintheirneck;areparticularlytall;wereinthetelevisionshow“TheWestWing”;looklikeaniceperson;aresleeping,eating,orfocusedonsomething;remindmeofsomeone;orifIlikethelinesintheirhands.These(andothertraitsthatpopupeveryday)arecertainthingsIfindthatI’msoexcitedtoseeanddrawandshare.

Ihopeyouenjoythisbook.*

Jason.

Jason.

*andIhopeyouareinthisbook.

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JasonPolanisonamissiontodraweverypersoninNewYork.Hedrawsinsubwaystations,atmuseums,ontrains,intaxicabs,onstreetcorners,inrestaurants,andmostotherplaces.Forvolume1of“EveryPersoninNewYork,”hehasdrawnoverthirtythousandpeople.Itispossiblehehasevendrawnyou!

JasonPolanisanartistlivinginNewYorkCitywhoseworkhasbeenexhibitedallovertheUnitedStates,Europe,Africa,andAsia.Hisprojectsinclude“TheEveryPieceofArtinTheMuseumofModernArtBook,”“AnEntireBagofPopcorn,”and“EveryPersoninthePhoneBook.”