In 1979, Clay created a meticulous panoramic of the seedy Times Square block of 42nd Street, which epitomized the grunge New York politicians were pledging to “clean up.” Originally made with an 8×10 view camera and physically spliced together into a 15-foot print. 

Thirty two years later, Clay photographed the same scene. One could argue that the “clean” NYC does not have quite the same appeal, however, in another twenty years, we may pine for the Times Square of 2011.