rat posters & sculpture, 1970s

The city has its own ecosystem with a delicate balance. Soon after moving to the city, I became a fascinated observer of rat behavior, watching for patterns in feeding, social interaction, and population movement. The garbage strike of 1979 went on for 3 weeks, creating habitat opportunity with every accumulating pile of garbage. I started pasting these up as a way to mark areas that were infested, so people could avoid walking through dangerous areas in which rats were defending their territories. I “borrowed” a sanitation ad from a subway car of this lifesize rat and had it offset printed. Never intending to defend rats, I wanted to point out how we had created a habitat for them, and they would naturally occupy it.

It has been said that rats possess a culture—if you define culture as the ability to pass information through generations without direct experience—such as a fear of predators and pesticides. Humans and elephants are the only other species that can do that.

Plaster Rats on Sidewalk

Plaster rats on sidewalk

Rat poster (torn)

Rat poster (torn)

Rat Posters

Rat posters

Rat Patrol Poster

Rat Patrol

Rats in Line

Rats in line

Rats in the rubble by Christy Rupp

Rubble Rats

Rat poster at Chamber Street Station

Rat poster at Chamber Street Station

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©christy rupp 1962–2021 | site by lisa goodlin design