Thirty-six Views of One World Trade Center

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All images are lithographs drawn on a stone and printed by the artist on Hahnemühle bright white paper, size 15.5" × 11", 2013–2015. The images were created chronologically, as One World Trade Center was being built.

  • A black and white sketch of a cityscape under construction, featuring cranes, buildings, and construction vehicles.

    The Ghost of 9/11 and Beginning the Rebuilding

    The first print in the series includes a ghost image of the artist's 9-11 lithograph self-portrait (2011), with hands over head as if protecting from falling debris, superimposed over the WTC building site with cranes, trucks, construction equipment and a few small worker figures.

  • Black and white sketch of a building under construction with scaffolding and cranes, with people in the foreground walking and standing.

    Building the Plaza

    Figures of construction workers on site rebuilding the WTC plaza which comes to include the 9-11 Memorial; cranes in the background are constructing the One World Trade Center (1WTC) building.

  • A detailed pencil sketch of a cityscape featuring prominent skyscrapers, with one central tower labeled 'The North Memorial Void,' viewed from a foreground square plaza. The sketch emphasizes architectural details with shading and line work.

    The North Memorial Void

    The North Memorial Void section of the 9-11 Memorial site under construction with tree plantings and 1WTC rising in background.

  • A black and white drawing of the New York City skyline featuring the Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, and other buildings, with a ship named 'Fritesloft' in the foreground.

    Spire on the Hudson

    Image of a barge on the Hudson River carrying pieces of the spire for 1WTC being pushed by a tugboat. 1WTC rises strongly in the background as it joins other iconic structures of the harbor skyline such as the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building.

  • Sketch of a modern glass building with a spiral glass and metal structure, titled "Winter Garden."

    Winter Garden

    Looking at 1WTC through the glass dome of the Winter Garden.

  • A black-and-white artwork titled "Promenade Night" depicting a nighttime scene on a boardwalk with a lighthouse and several buildings in the background, two people walking along the promenade, and a bench in the foreground.

    Promenade Night

    A night view from the Brooklyn Promenade overlooking the Hudson River to 1WTC under construction. A romantic spot for couples, a third lone figure (the artist) appears in the far left foreground.

  • A black and white drawing titled 'Raising the Beacon' by B. Beekman depicts a construction crane and a tall tower with a person at the top, holding onto a wire or rope, with two additional people visible on the crane platform below.

    Raising the Beacon

    As a crane raises the beacon for the top of the 1WTC spire festooned with the American flag, workers are photographing the event on their cellphones.

  • A black and white drawing of a garden scene with trees, rocks, and a pathway, titled 'Spring Blooms' by Benjamin, with some Roman numeral and English text at the bottom.

    Spring Blooms

    Brooklyn magnolia trees bloom in the foreground with a view of 1WTC under construction centered in the background.

  • Black and white sketch of a city skyline with tall skyscrapers, some under construction, and a water body in the foreground.

    Space Shuttle

    View from the harbor showing the space shuttle on a barge, the shuttle having just completed its last flight. Escorted by smaller boats, a fireboat "salutes" the shuttle with a red-white-and-blue water display as the shuttle passes 1WTC (under construction, on the left; 4WTC is shown under construction on the right).

  • A black and white drawing of two tall buildings, one of which is the One World Trade Center, alongside a church steeple, with trees lining the street in the foreground.

    Two Spires

    A view looking up to two spires - one of St. Paul's Chapel, a place of respite for rescue and recovery workers and the scene of many expressions of support after 9-11 and the other of 1WTC. An American flag and trees on the church graveyard are in the foreground and clouds are reflected in the glass on 1WTC. This was the spot where the artist began her rescue efforts on September 11, 2001 with other members of the FDNY. She often spent her WTC recovery effort break periods in St. Paul's.

  • A pencil sketch of the New York City skyline featuring One World Trade Center, a memorial tree, and the Brooklyn Bridge in the background.

    Planting a Memorial Tree

    A swamp white oak tree (one of over 400 trees to be planted on the September 11 Memorial) is hoisted up in front of 1WTC (still under construction) with clouds reflected on the building. Trees sketched in the foreground are growing in the graveyard of St. Paul's Chapel.

  • A detailed black-and-white drawing of the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island with Manhattan skyline, including One World Trade Center, in the background.

    The Statue of Liberty's Gaze

    The New York City skyline with the Statue of Liberty gazing toward 1WTC with a spire on top of the building. Tourists gathered at Lady Liberty's feet enjoy a clear sky. Perhaps some of them, like the artist, also see a great emptiness.

  • Black and white sketch of the Empire State Building in New York City with surrounding buildings.

    Empire State

    The Empire State Building and midtown Manhattan on a hazy, air-polluted summer day with a view of 1WTC in the distance.

  • A black-and-white sketch of a city waterfront seen from a balcony, with a large building to the left, a railing in the foreground, and the city skyline in the distance, including One World Trade Center, under a partly cloudy sky.

    Staten Island Remembers

    A view of lower Manhattan and 1WTC from the Staten Island 9-11 memorial "Postcards," dedicated to the residents of Staten Island lost on September 11, 2001 and in the WTC 1993 bombing. Overlooking the harbor, someone has left a memorial wreath. The image shows the left wall of the memorial with the portrait profiles of the people lost.

  • A detailed pencil sketch of a ferry boat's deck with benches and railings, overlooking a city skyline with tall buildings and the Empire State Building in the background, under a wooden roof.

    The Ferry

    A view of the New York harbor skyline from the deck of an empty Staten Island ferry returning to Manhattan. The lone sitting figure is a self-portrait of the artist. The image references multiple water-themed prints by Hiroshige and Rivière.

  • A drawing of the Statue of Liberty under a moonlit sky, titled 'Moon Over the Harbor,' with the artist's signature, Bankson, at the bottom right.

    Moon Over the Harbor

    A full moon illuminates the Statue of Liberty looking out at 1WTC lit up with construction lights in an otherwise dark sky.

  • A black and white landscape sketch of a city across a body of water with industrial buildings and smokestacks, power lines, and a large electrical tower in the background. Foreground shows a dark silhouette of a utility pole and grassy area.

    Meadowlands

    Overlooking the Meadowlands, wetlands often used as industrial sites and dumping grounds, the view shows broken posts, utility poles, New Jersey bluffs, and roads near the Secaucus train station. Far away, 1WTC appears outsized.

  • A black and white watercolor painting of the New York City skyline with the Empire State Building, viewed from across the water. The scene is labeled "JFK Mirage" by the artist Beldama.

    JFK Mirage

    A "mirage" view of the Manhattan skyline seen from the John F. Kennedy airport in Queens. A plane shimmers in the foreground.

  • Black and white sketch of construction workers working on a building structural framework, with a large pipe labeled 'DIXIE' in the foreground.

    Working in the Tower

    An African American woman laborer working inside of 1WTC, signs her name on a building beam before completion of construction. At the bottom of the print, she is using tools of her trade (screwdriver, hammer, saw, ladder, shovel) in three scenes.

  • A pencil sketch of a city skyline viewed through a train window, with the window frame and metal lattice in the foreground and skyscrapers, including the Empire State Building, in the background.

    View From the Q Train

    View looking through the subway Q train window as it crosses the Manhattan Bridge. Graffiti on two bridge beams references two Japanese artists famous for their "Views" series who influenced the artist. On left is "Hiroshige" and on right "Hokusai" inscribed in Kanji. 1WTC can be seen in the center background with three (3) birds in flight and a view of the NYC Municipal Building.

  • A black and white drawing of the Brooklyn Bridge with the Manhattan skyline in the background, including the One World Trade Center, and a river below with walking paths and a few people.

    Winter Walk

    Two walkers on the Brooklyn Bridge, facing away from the viewer, taking photographs and looking at 1WTC (on the left) on a bright, winter's day.

  • Black and white drawing of a city skyline viewed from a high floor window under construction, with tall buildings, cranes, and a cloudy sky.

    Eighty-eighth Floor Under Construction

    A view from inside 1WTC (still under construction) on the 88th floor looking out toward Brooklyn and Long Island. Rain is shown using an artistic convention used by Hokusai and Hiroshige. On the right inside the building is fireproofing on a beam.

  • A pencil sketch of a busy street scene with buildings, people, and street elements. The scene includes pedestrians, some with umbrellas, and a person in uniform standing in the foreground. The background features tall office buildings. The drawing is labeled with

    Never Forget

    A woman firefighter looking across the street at 1WTC and the 9-11 Memorial under construction, surrounded by tourists crowding the 9-11 Firefighters' Memorial on the wall of Engine 10/Ladder 10's firehouse. The tourists are focused on the representations of firefighters on the wall and ignore the woman firefighter.

  • Black and white sketch artwork depicting a city scene with a bicycle cyclist, a street sign for Union Street, a building in the background, utility poles, and a person walking.

    Gowanus Summer

    A cyclist rides a bike over the Union Street drawbridge in Brooklyn -- barrier arm up, drawbridge office covered in graffiti. In the background, a blimp floats in the summer sky as the top of 1WTC peeks over the trees.

  • A black and white watercolor of a New York City skyline with skyscrapers, including the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center, viewed from a high vantage point.

    Up High in the Bronx

    Looking out from a tall building in the Bronx at typical Bronx buildings. In the distance, is the Manhattan skyline with 1WTC faintly showing in the center right.

  • A black and white sketch of the Queens Railroad Relief structure, showing a steel railway bridge with detailed framework and support beams, with a city skyline in the background.

    Queens Railroad Relic

    An abandoned railroad relic on the Queens side of the East River. A dog in the foreground references prints by both Hiroshige and Rivière that include animals and sculptural figures of animals. A tiny 1WTC is in the far center distance of the image.

  • A black and white pencil drawing of New York City skyline featuring One World Trade Center and other skyscrapers. The foreground shows a bridge with several people walking underneath.

    Empty Sky

    The New Jersey memorial entitled "Empty Sky" with the names of New Jersey 9-11 victims, recreates the view of the Twin Towers before their destruction with two memorial walls. On a very bright summer day, people are indistinguishable from their dark shadows. The new 1WTC is on the left in the now-empty sky of Manhattan.

  • A black and white drawing of an urban street scene with buildings on the left, a tower with a clock and pointed roof on the right, pedestrians, and cars on the street, labeled 'Fall Day in the Village.'

    Fall Day in the Village

    A fall day showing typical West Village buildings, a woman crossing the street, traffic, a broken umbrella, and birds and fallen leaves blowing around, explicitly referencing prints by Hokusai, Hiroshige and Rivière showing blustery weather.

  • A black and white ink sketch of a city skyline with tall buildings, including the Empire State Building. The foreground features a street with cars and streetlights. The sky is mostly clear.

    Expressway

    View of 1WTC in the Manhattan skyline as seen by drivers in the Brooklyn Queens Expressway traffic to Brooklyn, with a face (self-portrait) in the car side mirror lower left corner.

  • A detailed pencil sketch of a cityscape featuring a large Wonder Wheel ride with its circular structure and cars, overlooking a city with buildings, streets, and trucks, with the sky in the background. The title 'Coney Island Wonder Wheel' and the name 'Barkman' are written at the bottom.

    Coney Island Wonder Wheel

    A view from inside the Wonder Wheel (Ferris Wheel) car looking out at the Coney Island amusement park carousel, elevated train, apartment buildings and Manhattan skyline with a tiny 1WTC in the center right background.

  • Black and white pencil sketch of a bird's eye view of a cityscape with water and buildings, featuring a large eagle claw in the foreground.

    Bird's Eye View

    A bird's eye view of New York City skyline at sunrise, with a Red-tailed Hawk in upper left corner. Lower Manhattan buildings are reflected in the Hudson River and Brooklyn and Long Island are in the hazy distance. References a Hiroshige print.

  • B&W stone lithograph print of a police officer (9/11 first responder) standing on the September 11 Memorial gazing at the Survivor tree blooming and One World Trade Center in the background.

    Survivors

    A retired police officer, Joe, standing next to the "Survivor Tree" on the 9-11 Memorial covered in snow with "spattered" snow falling. Both Joe and the tree survived the devastation of the attack on September 11, 2001. The tree is in full bloom despite the snow. A small Japanese-style rabbit on the scene serves as the artist's avatar. The artist, a fire lieutenant, a first responder on September 11, also survived.

  • B&W stone lithograph print of a view from the 1 WTC observation deck looking down at the building of the Oculus and other new WTC buildings.  The South Memorial Void is in the lower right corner.

    Looking Down

    A view looking out of windows of the new 1WTC observation deck down at the construction of many new WTC buildings including the Calatrava Oculus. The South Memorial Void is in the lower right corner.

  • B&W stone lithograph print of kayakers on the Hackensack River (NJ) looking at the NYC skyline viewed from the water with One World Trade Center in the distance. The kayaker on. the left is the artist.

    Boating on the Hackensack

    Three kayakers on a choppy Hackensack River in New Jersey, looking at the city skyline with the view of 1WTC in the center background. The kayaker in the left most boat is the artist's self-portrait.

  • B&W stone lithograph print of the Williamsburg Bridge in New York City with pigeons flying above it and typical NYC roof structures.

    Williamsburg Rooftops

    A typical gritty Brooklyn rooftop view of 1WTC behind the Williamsburg Bridge with various roof structures and pigeons in a cloudy sky.

  • Two-color stone lithograph print titled "Tribute" showing the new One World Trade Center on the anniversary of 9/11 when the twin blue lights are beamed into the night sky.  The only print in the series with color.

    Tribute

    Looking up at the completed 1WTC on the anniversary of 9-11 at night when twin blue lights representing the Twin Towers and honoring those lost are beamed into the sky every year for one night only. From this perspective, the twin lights become one light. This is the only print in the series to use color.