Roger's
Purple Heart
by
Ross Rice
The
systems always seem to work. When it’s cutting time, Baker
usually employs whoever is available and willing, regardless of
experience and skill. But this time, Orange County came through
in a big way (with special credit due to Brett Simmons, Commissioner
of Parks, Recreation, and Conservation) by providing the Park Commission
pros-- the guys who mow the golf courses, ballparks, and other public
spaces. Four guys showed up, with full gear, and ready opinions.
Soon, Baker had them orchestrated into Toro Picassos. “Usually
I take the first perimeter cut, cause I’ll know whether the
line’s off, or you put a bump in it just to make it look like
a drawing....I’ll take liberties as I see fit, and I’ll
just say [to the cutters] cut this section from here to here, cut
it this way, and cut it this high.”
Everyone
enjoyed the project, which had a serendipitous bonus. “What’s
kind of cool about this field is that it was clover....it was all
purple. It was amazing....the heads were starting to turn brown,
so we whacked the tops of the flowers off, and it turned purple.
So it’s truly a Purple Heart. It was not planned....I didn’t
know it had clover until I was on the field.”
Then
it’s time for photographic documentation as, like a Buddhist
sand-painting, Baker’s work is ephemeral, fading away as nature
takes its course. A helicopter is procured, and Anthony Puopolo
arrives, camera in tow. Puopolo, who once came out to a shoot on
a previous Baker project with legendary photographer Timothy White,
tried his hand at aerial shooting, and quickly became the goto guy
for Baker’s photos. He seems to have a knack for getting the
right camera settings and angles, as well as directing the chopper.
Visitors to Ellenville can see some of his shots on the walls of
Aroma Thyme Bistro.
CONTINUE...
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