Tyrome Tripoli parks my bike in his Troutman St. studio just seconds before the pouring rain starts. Thick fat raindrops here and there should have been a warning enough before this summer mayhem.
“This won’t last more than 20 minutes.” Ty says. “It took me a while to figure out New York summer rain. But it’s always like that.” California surfer continues.
Ty halfway closes the large gate of his studio, and covers up a dresser made of smooth massive wood, his latest commission, so that the intense rain doesn’t damage it.
Dry Bushwick dust mixes with the water pouring from the sky and creates distinctive summer smell; I hug my knees, finding a seat on an upholstered chair, while Ty lights up his welder to finish the works on some kind of an iron component.
Ty’s studio is filled with artifacts of all kinds: from a Snow white’s dwarf, to screws, pipes, and plastic cups of all sizes. A big caste recorder in the corner is producing strange installation of sounds. Ty likes to listen to an experimental college radio. He says that sometimes they play songs, but he prefers strange sounds in the background, he doesn’t need a tune.
Ty says that ever since he remembers, he has been collecting strange things and peculiar objects. Back in California, he would fill up his vintage car with found objects, like bottle cups of different colors, figures, or shells… Ty uses his skills to assemble bigger and smaller objects together creating unexpected shapes and sculptures. He encourages me to climb up an iron shelve on the wall, and take a look at his studio from the s bird’s-eye view. Ty explains he loves to look at the studio from above. I take couple of pictures. It’s strange to see his huge sculpture that just recently dominated Vandervoort Pl. as part of the Bushwick Art Part by Factory Fresh, so closely. The sculpture looks a little trapped in between four walls of Ty’s studio. We both agree that that the sculpture needs to breathe and looks better on the street. On the other hand, I am glad that I can observe the sculpture closely, and I am realizing the various components it’s made of: Ty’s daughter’s old toys and baby equipment, caps from the rolls of print paper from a friend… The sculpture is white and baby pink; and resembles a fantasy animal.
Ty is a cheerful guy with piercing lively eyes, who lives in the magical world where the most ordinary things find their place together and come to life. Moreover, he is an incredibly skilled craftsman. We’re walking through an apartment connected to Ty’s studio. Ty has furnished it with objects he has made of metal, steel and wood: level bed, kitchen sink, and solid wooden shelf firmly holding on the wall….
Just like Ty said the tropical Bushwick rain magically stops after 20 minutes; the air is fresh and instantly warm; the rays of light reflect from a wet bamboo palm in his backyard…
Tyrome Tripoli’s work can be currently seen at Storefront gallery, where he is part of the group show Itinerant Ones curated by Jules de Balincourt.
