Anthony Whitaker’s photo, Steel Standing, captured the World Trade Center after the devastating 911 attacks. The artist-graphic designer explains,“The physical essence was so strong, as if it was saying, ‘I am steel,’ because that’s what it was, and ‘I am standing,’ because that’s what it was doing. So, I named it ‘Steel Standing.’ “
With a click of his camera, Whitaker, a Con Edison engineer by trade, documented the WTC at the nation’s crossroads of devastation and determined resolve and heroism and hell on earth.
With the game-changing killing of and the capture of other leading Al Qaeda officials, 911 is back in the news cycle.
Here, then, we venture behind the lens to discuss the artist’s “beautiful ruin,” arguably the most memorable photo of the tragic event.What has been your most memorable showing of Steel Standing?
Mr. Larry Silverstein, the billionaire who owned the World Trade Center. A real estate agent read about Steel Standing in the pape,r and he was blown away by it. I met him first and he said, “I want you to meet Larry Silverstein.”
He called me up and said, “I have a meeting with Silverstein.”
[When I got to the meeting] I unwrapped it and showed it to Mr. Silverstein. There was a leather couch behind him. He literally fell back on the couch. He had his hand over his mouth, like he was just totally like, “Oh my God,” like someone hit him with a bat. I was concerned. Did I frighten him?
He said that it was “absolutely magnificent.”
In the 911 conspiracy documentaries, Silverstein is said to have given the orders to ‘pull it,’ that is, to blow up the buildings. Did you get that inkling from him?
I didn’t get that vibe from him. I didn’t get anything of that nature. He was very respectful and blown away by it. He goes to me, “This will definitely have a main spot in my main office.”
Where do you find inspiration these days?
In symbolism and in art itself. I study symbolism in depth. I’ve studied it for many years. I go to the Metropolitan Museum twice a month, and I study art. Ancient Egyptian art is rooted in symbolism, and everything has meaning in it. So, that has always been a strong source of inspiration for me.
If you weren’t an artist, what would you be?
Valley of the Kings, the [men’s fashion] line that I’m designing has been a lifelong passion for me. Valley of the Queens is for women. It’s going to be very colorful and very bold. In fact, I won an award for that back in 1998.
What’s your top photography advice?
Photography is nothing more than a medium, like painting or drawing. It’s an art form. So, my advice is to always look at any art form as a medium and develop a concept to build upon.
Just don’t do things randomly. Have a concept that you can build upon, a concept that can be prolific.
