Curlie: The Funk Man of Loisaida, New York (2020)

3rd Street & Avenue C, New York

Size: 11 × 17 in
Ink: India Ink & Burnt Sienna Dr. Martens dye with red watercolor
Paper: 240gsm cold-pressed watercolor paper
1 of 1: Signed on rear, stamped & numbered

Curlie is my canary in the coal mine for Alphabet City; If he vanishes you know something is seriously wrong. 

Curlie holds court more often than not at Hartman Square, a narrow strip between Houston and e2nd on Avenue C. Some mornings he’s on the NorthEast corner of C/e3rd, some days it’s somewhere else. Depends on the sun. The wind. The vibe.

He sits in his walker, dressed immaculately in a different-colored suit each day.

He wears two gold watches, three bracelets, and a fedora. Sometimes in the colder months, he rocks a giant fur shawl. He has a ring on every finger: everything from a giant opal to a yin-yang symbol, to the head of a Native American. His longtime girlfriend, Poo, sports a similar fistful of bling whenever she leaves the house to sit with him. On his lap sit two small miniature Yorkies. I’ve never asked their names.

The game of Where is Curlie perched today? is easy—not because of his colorful duds— but because you can hear him three blocks before you spot him. He plays Latin music and old-school Doo-wop hits of the 50s and 60s on his boombox. All day. He knows everyone in the neighborhood. As people walk past to check in with him, he collects all kinds of information about the goings-on around Loisaida.2

If you’re lucky, you can spot one of his friends dancing to his endless playlist.

More.