I do think the smaller-scale studio works have that incredible love of data crunching, whereas I would say the large-scale earthworks tend to be much more stripped-down. With the mappings, as connected as they are to a much more analytical idea, what's a map? And can I make a map about time? I think the first time was Hurricane Sandy, the flood plane; a moment in time, but indelibly marked on any of us who were in the city. Mapping time is something that I'm really interested in.

I was probably the first kid in my high school to go to Yale. I applied almost as a lark. Then, when I got there, I was the dumbest person in your class.

I like to think of my work as creating a private conversation with each person, no matter how public each work is and no matter how many people are present

All my work is much more peaceful than I am.

It terrified me to have an idea that was solely mine to be no longer a part of my mind, but totally public.

I begin by imagining an artwork verbally. I try to describe in writing what the project is, what it is trying to do. I need to understand the artwork without giving it a specific materiality or solid form.

Art is very tricky because it's what you do for yourself. It's much harder for me to make those works than the monuments or the architecture.