Sto Len offered an on-site performance and watery séance. From his boat, the artist asked the creek for forgiveness while creating a ceremonial print in its honor.

For the past two years, printmaker and performance artist Sto Len has been creating mono prints on Newtown Creek in Maspeth, Queens (which was originally called Mespeatches by the Native American tribe of the same name who lived in the area). Mespeatches translates to “at the bad water place.” Working en plein air from a rowboat, Sto uses a process similar to paper marbling to print directly off of the patches of oil and debris floating on the surface. The resulting works are both beautifully patterned and effectively troubling as they offer us a grim reflection of an environmental disaster many would rather ignore.