Wilt (Wednesday, December 4th, 2002), 2002, cut newspaper, 21 1/2 in x 13 1/2 in
Wilt (Sunday, September 4th, 2011), 2011, cut newspaper, 21 3/4 in x 12 in
Wilt (Wednesday, December 4th, 2002), 2002, cut newspaper, 21 1/2 in x 13 1/2 in
Wilt (Sunday, November 6th, 2011), 2011, cut newspaper, 21 1/2 in x 12 in
Wilt (Monday, December 3rd, 2011), 2011, cut newspaper, 21 1/2 in x 12 in
Wilt (Wednesday, November 9th, 2011), 2011, cut newspaper, 21 3/4 in x 12 in
Wilt (Thursday, November 10th, 2011), 2011, cut newspaper, 21 1/2 in x 12 in
Wilt (Friday, November 25th, 2011), 2011, cut newspaper, 21 3/4 in x 12 in
Wilt (Sunday, November 27th, 2011), 2011, cut newspaper, 21 1/2 in x 12 in
Wilt (Sunday, November 27th, 2011), 2011, cut newspaper, 21 1/2 in x 12 in
Wilt (Saturday, December 3rd, 2011), 2011, cut newspaper, 21 1/2 in x 12 in
Wilt (Monday, December 3rd, 2011), 2011, cut newspaper, 21 1/2 in x 12 in
Pieces from the Wilt series have a recipe simple enough that, for quite a few years, anyone could have made one. Starting with the Obituary page of The New York Times cut away all text and photographs from each article, reserving the latter (for the Last Portraits). Keep intact the graphic borders that contain each story and divide it from the others, being careful not to cut though any printed lines. Pin the resulting drawing to the wall, keeping the top line level and maintaining enough of the pages shape that it is easily recognizable. Let time do the rest.
The Wilt drawings were always intended to have a life span, beginning crisp and graceful as in the photos above which show freshly cut examples, and ending within a season or two, faded, bedraggled, and ready for the bin. At the time they were made they were priced about the same as a very nice bouquet of flowers.
Unfortunately it is no longer possible to make them from current issues of the paper. In recent years the Times has changed the style of the graphic layout of its Obituaries Section and one person’s story is no longer fully delineated from anyone else’s.
All Image Credits: Tom Powel Imaging
