The New-York Historical Society recently unveiled Picasso's "Le Tricorne" tapestry, a 19-by-20 foot painted stage curtain dating from 1919. Jason Gardner, of Jason Gardner Photo + Video, produced a time-lapse video of the arrival of the work in a 23-foot-long tube, its transfer through a second-story window 35-feet above 77th Street, and the process of mounting and unfurling the piece in the Society's Dexter Hall, where it is currently on display.
The YHS is featuring the time-lapse on their website. A portion was also shown in the June 18th episode of thePBS program "NYC Arts," hosted by
Paula Zahn.
For 20 hours over three days and nights, Gardner shot over 4,500 still images, which he condensed and edited down to a time-lapse of less than three minutes. To capture the entire installation process, Gardner placed his camera in seven locations outside and inside the Society.
Gardner explained, "The project was not just a technical challenge, but also a logistical one. Coordinating schedules with the art handlers, placing the camera to show action and to provide context and focus on detail - all of that was key to producing an eye-opening, behind-the-scenes look at this historic moment."
Jason Gardner is a photographer and videographer based in Brooklyn, NY. He specializes in time-lapse motion as well as traditional video and still photography. In 2014, he released A Flower in the Mouth: The Beauty and Burden of Carnaval in Pernambuco, Brazil, an in-depth look at the music and culture of northeastern Brazil. The next book from his imprint, Visual Anthropology Press, will launch later this year.
