Benny Cruz, known for his “Gratitude” series of New York City maps, shares the story behind his latest project.
"Some people say New Yorkers are rude, but I haven't experienced it."
Benny Cruz is grateful for a lot of things and New York City is one of them. It's where his artwork first took off after years of trying to find success back home in Sweden.
Now, the city is his canvas.
As an interdisciplinary artist, Cruz works mostly with text-based designs located in public spaces. He specializes in installations, murals and performances. His latest project sat directly across the street from the United Nations on 1st Avenue and 42nd Street ahead of Earth Week.
In Sweden, Cruz works with fourth-grade students at a school called Krokslättsskolan. He asked them what message they wanted to see displayed in a public space. Together, with support from their teacher, Annie Fridlund, and principal Leona Phillips, the class came up with a few options.
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Ultimately, the selected phrase was: "MOTHER NATURE GAVE US WATER, PLANTS, AIR AND FORESTS. WE GAVE HER PLASTICS AND POLLUTION."
Local
The installation itself was a joint effort with street photographer Jens Franzén and climate activist Madeleine MacGillivray, who helped scout the location and position the cut-out letters on the wall.
A lifelong New Yorker, MacGillivray is a climate coordinator for Seeding Sovereignty, a non-profit dedicated to fighting climate change and providing support for communities most affected by it.
"Climate intersects with so many different issues and it impacts us all very differently," MacGillivray told NBC New York. "It impacts plastic. It impacts social justice. It impacts our resources. It impacts the way that we live."
The group removed the installation the same day it went up, but plans are in the works to have photographs from their Earth Week quotes series available for purchase at a later date.
Where can I see his installation?
The installation was a one-day pop-up. You can follow his work on Instagram (@bennycruz).
Who is Benny Cruz?
Benny Cruz, also known as "Your Local Benny," is a New York-based artist from Sweden. He works with text-based art using acrylics and markers on paper. He was an apprentice under the now-late Chilean artist Alfredo Mosella.
"Coffee and his love for New York are also part of his main inspirations," according to his website.
