Z BEHL
New York-based filmmaker and visual artist
“Participating in the Wollman Rink project gave me a fierce sense of rejuvenation—both for the city and for myself as an artist,” says Z. “Treating the park as my canvas opened up myriad opportunities to meditate on exhibition, public experience, and the untamed world.”
On the project:
“I metamorphosed lifesize oil paintings I made of individuals in New York City, recasting them onto vinyl in a fun haphazard fashion, and fashioned that over the Zamboni, transforming the ice cleaning process into an animated experience.”
On keeping her body sharp:
“It helps my sculpture practice to condition my body daily, even if it’s just stacking wood or organizing my power tools. My body is a tool, too, and I need to keep it sharp—it’s my greatest asset!”
On her playlist:
“When I’m working I listen to Chances With Wolves, a NY-based DJ duo. They pull music from all around the world with a penchant for magical covers.”
On books and video essays:
"I just finished the Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin which I loved. Sci-fi is giving me so much hope these days. It's groundbreaking, and mind-bending, and gives me a new perspective on our ever-changing society as I continually try to process my own place in it.
How To with John Wilson is my favorite show right now! The poetic video essays really highlight what I love about New Yorkers, and his earnestness as a filmmaker is refreshing and disarming, proving that walking the streets and engaging with people is often better, more nuanced drama than one can write and shoot in a studio."
On inspiration:
"Pamela Council inspires me! Their first major public work is currently on view in Times Square: A Fountain for Survivors. The mix of raw, unapologetic emotion, highly skilled technical (obsessive) execution, and the keen conceptual rigor behind their work gives me all sorts of ideas about how to reposition my own work in the world, and engage a larger audience."
"Azikiwe Mohammed is another artist whose practice defies expectation, and I find that ceaselessly exciting. Any work that makes an offering, gives an invitation to play and participate, excites me. It’s so important to keep having fun, living life with gratitude, and to be pushing for a more just world through one’s work all at the same time."
Cey Adams
New York City-based artist
“As a lifelong New Yorker, it’s great to work with my friends at Equinox on this mural project,” says Adams. “I skated at Wollman Rink for years growing up.”
On the project:
“My mural was inspired by the beauty of Central Park in the Fall. The warm colors of the leaves turning as the seasons change.”
On seasonless fitness:
“My winter wellness routine is all about staying active as the seasons change. I make sure to bundle up and do as much walking and running as possible.”
On coffee table reads:
“I spend my free moments catching up on reading my coffee table art books:”
- Eames: Beautiful Details
- Chuck Close: A Couple of Ways of Doing Something
- Gordon Parks X Muhammad Ali
- Keith Haring
- Rebels by Janette Beckman
On inspiration:
"Artists! Warhol, Jasper Johns, Derrick Adams, Craig Anthony Miller, Alice Mizrachi"