Mary Reilly

Seashells 6, Beach-strewn seashells from Sanibel Island, Graphite on Paper

2023

Mary Reilly - artist statement Graffiti Trees I found all of the images from my Graffiti Tree series within the woods of Alley Pond Park, Queens. Alley Pond Park has one of the "ancient forests of NYC". I photographed graffiti trees in many parks within the five boroughs of NY but the trees in Alley Pond Park were by far the most plentiful and the most interesting, with carvings dating back to the 1930's. What I find interesting about these woods is that the carvings are all so different. Walking through the woods was like a trip back in time. Almost every tree had something carved on it which made me imagine the people from the surrounding neighborhoods walking into the park, whether it be kids drinking, smoking and hanging out, or lovers taking a stroll. I found the faceless initials carved on the trees and what might be the story behind them to be most interesting. There are carvings that are clearly made from kids who were hanging out in groups. Then there were the more romantic carvings. Some are just cute. I tried to pick a few from each category to make a rounded body of work. I guess you can say that the history of the carvings is what inspired me to draw them. -MR 2014