A cartoonish mannequin representing a waiter stands with towel at the ready at the entrance to one of a number of restaurant supply shops on the Bowery. I found its presence incongruous, and photographed it from the side so that I could lead into it with a row of kitchen sinks, and back it up with a colorful umbrella that nearly repeats the color of the towel. I try to make the situation as life-like as possible – at first glance, one might even see the mannequin as real. New York can be a city of illusion, and this image shows us why.