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Crosby below Prince, New York, NY. 2009

The Umbra project is born of an attempt to share a phenomenon I find beautiful. In my travels through the city at night I was constantly encountering thought-provoking shapes projected on streets and sidewalks that were cast by the lights we keep on at night. In an attempt to both draw attention to and temporarily preserve these projections I began outlining their contours in chalk. Chalk, like the shadows themselves, is a fugitive material. At times these drawing have lasted two years, in many cases they are washed away the next morning. I began making photographs of the completed pieces in an attempt to further share these short lived installations and my appreciation for the beauty of the night.

This project is an ongoing series of chalk-outlined shadows at night around the US in cities like New York, San Francisco, Seattle and small towns in Oregon and California and began in earnest in March of 2006.

These photos are all taken at night. The shadows are cast by lights of all sorts: street lights, house lights, flood lights, on buildings and on poles.

I make the drawings and photographs myself.

None of these images are shot during the day, though when I color balance them they occasionally look like that way.

People often wonder about waiting for the shadows to line up with the drawings during the day. I've never tried, but if you go back at night they'll be there; assuming, of course, a building super hasn't hosed the drawing away.

Umbra is Latin for shadow.

Map of where these pieces were originally executed.

A number of these are for sale through Gallery Katz in Boston.

Thanks to Ben Terrett for his post on Noisy Decent Graphics about this set.

Please visit my website: www.michaelneff.com

79 photos | 8,264 views

items are from between 21 Jun 2007 & 08 May 2009.

Crosby below Prince, New York, NY. 2009 by Michael Neff
Crosby below Prince, New York, NY. 2009 by Michael Neff
Crosby below Prince, New York, NY. 2009 by Michael Neff
Crosby below Prince, New York, NY. 2009 by Michael Neff
16th Street between 7th and 8th, New York, NY. 2009 by Michael Neff
16th Street between 7th and 8th, New York, NY. 2009 by Michael Neff
11th Ave and the West Side Highway, New York, NY. 2009 by Michael Neff
11th Ave and the West Side Highway, New York, NY. 2009 by Michael Neff
11th Ave and the West Side Highway, New York, NY. 2009 by Michael Neff
11th Ave and the West Side Highway, New York, NY. 2009 by Michael Neff
11th Ave and the West Side Highway, New York, NY. 2009 by Michael Neff
9th Street, Brooklyn, NY. 2009. by Michael Neff
MoMA: 53rd between 5th and 6th. New York, NY. 2008. by Michael Neff
Behind MoMA: 54th Between 5th and 6th, New York, NY. 2008. by Michael Neff
Behind MoMA: 54th Between 5th and 6th, New York, NY. 2008. by Michael Neff
Behind MoMA: 54th Between 5th and 6th. 2008 by Michael Neff
Behind MoMA: 54th Between 5th and 6th, New York, NY. 2008 by Michael Neff
Behind MoMA: 54th Between 5th and 6th, New York, NY. 2008. by Michael Neff
Behind MoMA: 54th Between 5th and 6th, New York, NY. 2008. by Michael Neff
Behind MoMA: 54th Between 5th and 6th, New York, NY. 2008. by Michael Neff
16th Street Between 9th and 10th, New York, NY. 2008 by Michael Neff
17th Street and 10th Avenue, New York, NY. 2008 by Michael Neff
"The Ladies' Mile" bike rack designed by David Byrne. New York, NY 2008. by Michael Neff
"The Villager" bike rack designed by David Byrne. New York, NY. 2008. by Michael Neff
"The Wall Street" bike rack designed by David Byrne. New York, NY. 2008. by Michael Neff
"The Wall Street" bike rack designed by David Byrne. New York, NY. 2008. by Michael Neff
Shopping Cart Return, Santa Maria, CA. 2008. by Michael Neff
Pier 9, San Francisco, CA. 2008. by Michael Neff
Seattle, Washington. 2008 by Michael Neff
West 11th Between 6th and 7th, New York, NY. 2008 by Michael Neff
West 11th Between 6th and 7th, New York, NY. 2008 by Michael Neff
Newburg, Oregon. 2008. by Michael Neff
Pickup, Newberg, OR. 2008 by Michael Neff
West 3rd Between Mercer and LaGuardia, New York, NY. 2008 by Michael Neff
Mercer Between West 3rd and Bleeker. 2008 by Michael Neff
Fire Hydrant and Coke Bottle, 109th and Amstedam, New York, New York. 2007 by Michael Neff
San Francisco, California. 2007 by Michael Neff
San Francisco, California. 2007 by Michael Neff
Rooftop next to the Bay Bridge, San Francisco, California. 2007 by Michael Neff
San Francisco, California. 2007 by Michael Neff
Boren and Harrison, Seattle, Washington. 2007 by Michael Neff
Seattle, Washington. 2007 by Michael Neff
Seattle, Washington. 2007 by Michael Neff
Boren at Republican, Seattle, Washington. 2007 by Michael Neff
Aurora Village, Shoreline, Washington. 2007 by Michael Neff
N 205th St (Aurora Village), Shoreline, Washington. 2007 by Michael Neff
Aurora Village, Shoreline, Washington. 2007 by Michael Neff
Bike Rack, West 9th Street Between 5th and 6th, New York, NY. 2007 by Michael Neff
Desk and Tree, University Place, New York, NY. 2007 by Michael Neff
West 11th Street, New York, NY. 2007 by Michael Neff
Fire Hydrant and Bollards, West 4th Street, New York, New York. 2007 by Michael Neff
Café Tables, West 4th Street, New York, New York. 2007 by Michael Neff
Tree and Planter, 8th Avenue, New York, New York. 2007 by Michael Neff
Bothell, Washington. 2007 by Michael Neff
Bothell, Washington. 2007 by Michael Neff
Bothel, Washington. 2007 by Michael Neff
Off Aurora, Seattle, Washington. 2007 by Michael Neff
Off Aurora, Shoreline, Washington. 2007 by Michael Neff
Off Aurora, Seattle, Washington. 2007 by Michael Neff
Off Aurora, Seattle, Washington, 2007. by Michael Neff

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