Scrollathon
City Point
Brooklyn, New York 2016
Collaboration with 1000+ participants
Fabulous Phil, 2016. papier-mâché, paint, varnish, blown glass, brass grommets, screws, plywood, skim coat, 40 x 40 feet x 4 inches,
Photo: Todd Eberle
Fabulous Phil is the largest Collaborative Masterwork by Steven and William Ladd, measuring an impressive 40 by 40 feet. Composed of 35,000 handcrafted beads, it is permanently installed at City Point in Downtown Brooklyn. Its creation evolved during the City Point Scrollathon, from May 2015 to January 2016, engaging the participation of over 1,000 people from 16 different Brooklyn community groups.
In 2014, during Brooklyn’s radical two- decades-long transformation, the Ladds were approached by Paul Travis from Washington Square Partners. Travis, along with a consortium of partners, spearheaded the revitalization of Downtown Brooklyn and sought community engagement. 1,700 local construction workers were enlisted to build an ambitious complex based on their visionary aspirations. Architects designed a colossal climate-controlled vitrine adjacent to a planned community park. To ensure permanent local representation in the revitalized community, the Ladds envisioned a collaborative artwork crafted by area residents, emulating their personal culture and aesthetics.
The magnitude of the project was staggering and, with a lighthearted chuckle, Paul Travis suggested that such a colossal endeavor could never be accomplished without the benefit of mechanization. Undeterred, the Ladds embraced the challenge, meticulously crafting every aspect of Fabulous Phil entirely by hand.
Portrait Mural of 1000+ participants, City Point Scrollathon, Brooklyn, NY
Signature Plate of 1000+ participants, Scrollathon, City Point, NY, wood, paint, pencil, 32 x 48 inches
Community Groups
Brooklyn Autism Center
Brooklyn Community ServicesBrooklyn High School for Leadership and Community Service
The Brooklyn Hospital Center
Brooklyn Museum
Brooklyn Music School
Global Autism Project
Helen Keller Services for the Blind
Ingersoll Community Center
Long Island University
Madison Square Boys & Girls Club: Navy Yard Clubhouse
New Body Elite
PS 307 Daniel Hale Williams
PS 316 Elijah Stroud
PS 58 The Carroll School
PS 369 Coy L. Cox School
Support
Fabulous Phil and the City Point Scrollathon were generously supported by Acadia Realty Trust, The Brodsky Organization, and Washington Square Partners with Cristina Grajales Gallery.
Special thanks to Charles and Barbara Ladd, Chris Conlon, Company Agenda, COOKFOX Architects, Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, GlassLab, a design program of The Corning Museum of Glass, Kenneth Bernstein, Lucien Zayan and The Invisible Dog Art Center, Paul Travis and Mark Finchandler, and the team at Steven and William Ladd.
