Abbye Churchill of WILDER QUARTERLY interviews the caretaker of THE NEW YORK EARTH ROOM, a 35-year-old installation by Walter De Maria. The earth-filled Soho loft is open 9 months of the year and its caretaker Bill Dilworth has tended the site for the last 23 years.
One of the most resonant pleasures of living in New York is that it is always evolving: abandoned buildings are revitalized, long-forgotten train lines blossom into public parks, bars and restaurants become other, newer bars and restaurants. Smack in the middle of the real estate turn-over that is Soho, minimalist sculptor Walter De Maria has created an enduring work that lies quietly, steadily in contrast.
Originally from California, De Maria moved to New York in 1960 where he became embedded in the phantasmagoria of the downtown scene at the time. He participated in happenings, produced films and even acted as the drummer for the band that paved the way for the Velvet Underground, The Druds––featuring Andy Warhol on vocals, LaMonte Young on sax, and Lou Reed. Amidst this flurry of activity, De Maria’s minimalist sculptures and land works are among his best known.
Installed in 1977 and opened to the public in 1980 by the Dia Foundation, Walter De Maria’s The New York Earth Room sits in striking contrast to its surroundings. Located at 141 Wooster Street on the second floor of a squat, gray building opposite the Adidas showroom and Betsey Johnson’s eponymous boutique, (now in its final closing sale but which originally opened its doors just one year after The New York Earth Room was installed), 250 cubic yards of earth are contained over a space of 3,600 square feet. The rich, deep brown, almost black, earth creates a uniform visual horizon–– a dividing line against the white walls of the gallery space.
For the past 23 years, one man has cared for this space and the earth contained within. In a time of ever changing careers, as well as spaces, Bill Dilworth shares with OC and Wilder the importance of longevity, silence and growth.
Abbye Churchill: What attracted you to being the caretaker for The New York Earth Room to begin with?
Bill Dilworth: I just had a sense that it would be a nice way to exist in the city. I instinctively just knew that it would be a good balance to the kind of commotion, the hectic aspect of the city. And you can tell instantly that this is a quiet place. I think you have to have a comfort with who you are and you have to have an internal life that seems satisfying to have this job. I’m sure that it would drive some people crazy. A few people who had the job before me… I wonder why they left, but they had a different temperament. It suits me.
AC: What do you think it has given you in terms of perspective? Do you think being in this space everyday has shaped your outlook overall?
BD: I think that is a balance. New York is a wild place––a lot of commotion. And this is in contrast to that. New York is always changing; this is radically unchanging. I think to be surrounded by all of New York City makes this a very poignant and healthy place. And it has given me that sense of balance in my own life. The time tells the story there. The interesting thing is that Dia supplies the time for this to be here––for decades. To have held this job for this long, I have given my own time. It is sort o
One of the most resonant pleasures of living in New York is that it is always evolving: abandoned buildings are revitalized, long-forgotten train lines blossom into public parks, bars and restaurants become other, newer bars and restaurants. Smack in the middle of the real estate turn-over that is Soho, minimalist sculptor Walter De Maria has created an enduring work that lies quietly, steadily in contrast.
Originally from California, De Maria moved to New York in 1960 where he became embedded in the phantasmagoria of the downtown scene at the time. He participated in happenings, produced films and even acted as the drummer for the band that paved the way for the Velvet Underground, The Druds––featuring Andy Warhol on vocals, LaMonte Young on sax, and Lou Reed. Amidst this flurry of activity, De Maria’s minimalist sculptures and land works are among his best known.
Installed in 1977 and opened to the public in 1980 by the Dia Foundation, Walter De Maria’s The New York Earth Room sits in striking contrast to its surroundings. Located at 141 Wooster Street on the second floor of a squat, gray building opposite the Adidas showroom and Betsey Johnson’s eponymous boutique, (now in its final closing sale but which originally opened its doors just one year after The New York Earth Room was installed), 250 cubic yards of earth are contained over a space of 3,600 square feet. The rich, deep brown, almost black, earth creates a uniform visual horizon–– a dividing line against the white walls of the gallery space.
For the past 23 years, one man has cared for this space and the earth contained within. In a time of ever changing careers, as well as spaces, Bill Dilworth shares with OC and Wilder the importance of longevity, silence and growth.
Abbye Churchill: What attracted you to being the caretaker for The New York Earth Room to begin with?
Bill Dilworth: I just had a sense that it would be a nice way to exist in the city. I instinctively just knew that it would be a good balance to the kind of commotion, the hectic aspect of the city. And you can tell instantly that this is a quiet place. I think you have to have a comfort with who you are and you have to have an internal life that seems satisfying to have this job. I’m sure that it would drive some people crazy. A few people who had the job before me… I wonder why they left, but they had a different temperament. It suits me.
AC: What do you think it has given you in terms of perspective? Do you think being in this space everyday has shaped your outlook overall?
BD: I think that is a balance. New York is a wild place––a lot of commotion. And this is in contrast to that. New York is always changing; this is radically unchanging. I think to be surrounded by all of New York City makes this a very poignant and healthy place. And it has given me that sense of balance in my own life. The time tells the story there. The interesting thing is that Dia supplies the time for this to be here––for decades. To have held this job for this long, I have given my own time. It is sort o