Description
Giclée reproduction of “Zeedijk and Heroin Alley” from the original pen and ink drawing by artist Scott Kennedy in 1982.
About the drawing Zeedijk and Heroin Alley
On that day in Amsterdam, I had walked up to a canal and approached a small bridge. I paused for a moment to take in the scene at Zeedijk Street on the other side of the waterway.
The buildings were tall and narrow, leaning slightly. My eye picked up the slight differences in these horizontal and vertical deviations.
Down below the buildings on the bank and cobblestone street, a few men of dark color had congregated. They were possibly African or West Indies immigrants.
The men were loud and they gestured violently. With arms flailing almost rhythmically, they appeared to be in a sort of angry dance.
Taking in the scene, I began drawing, using the side of the bridge to support my drawing board.
Before I had finished, a young lady came up close to me and began to photograph the same scene. She was immediately noticed by a young man who then walked up to her and demanded her camera.
The man proceeded to empty the camera and throw the roll of film down into the water below.
Next, he approached me – but with more of an inquisitive air. He looked down at my work and began to grin. No one in my drawing could be identified by the police, although it certainly seemed that he could tell who they were.
The young man then rejoined the rowdy group and, a moment later, I heard a distinct “clippity-clop”. A couple of mounted police had come into the scene and my subjects scattered.
Luckily, I had just finished by then. With that, I had nicknamed this drawing “Heroin Alley”.
Other works from Amsterdam
See Scott Kennedy’s pen and ink drawing “Café Reynders” and his drawing “Newmarket at Monk Street”. Also, check out another ink drawing titled “Ribe”.
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