The Arts in NYC Fall 2012

Instead of doing a critique I decided to simply explain what significance the event had for me.

This was my first time taking part in a publicly viewed art “gallery” in such a way, not to mention the art itself was purposefully made as a form of social commentary. Basically, it was a totally new experience for me, especially since it was also my first time being on the High Line. It was strange, for me at least, to an extent. We were told to just act normally, but that’s hard when you are attempting to express and pass on a message to people on the street. My idea of acting normally also doesn’t include talking to random strangers, which was actually pretty fun. Well, I said it was fun but at first, when people just started approaching us, I felt like an abandoned soldier, who was left behind to act as a decoy while the others escaped, since the other three people I was with refused to speak.

When our group got larger, though, it became easier to comfortably speak to questioning and curious onlookers. Even though I became accustomed to answering questions the whole experience was still a bit strange. Part of me wanted to act normally, another part wanted me to initiate conversations with people who seemed curious, and another part kept distracting me by debating whether I should get another expensive treat or not (I had bought an expensive popsicle earlier that day).

But the event definitely made me realize something about communicating with others. I always knew this but I never really acknowledged it, that judging a person based on their appearance can count as a form of communication. By wearing certain clothing or having a certain hair style, or even just looking the way you do sends a message to people who see you. It often isn’t a message sent on purpose and is definitely not something that can be controlled. The message received totally depends on the person on the receiving end. They decide how they will interpret your appearance and then decide what their first impressions of you are. I realized this after a person came up and said, “I thought that you were all from a business school for a mixer or welcoming event.” He had judged us based on what we were wearing – business terms.

It was also strange to realize how my style of communication changed so quickly and abruptly depending on who I was speaking to, and by communication, in this case, I mean in the form of speech. One moment I was my usual self speaking about whatever was on my mind with my friends, and then the next I was explaining the shirts to people who asked us about them. I switched back and forth between a very casual way of speaking to a more formal way of addressing someone instantaneously.

It made me wonder if maybe I was deceiving the people who approached and questioned us by pretending to act like someone I wasn’t, or maybe if that is just another part of me that I don’t often show. To answer this question would require more introspection, and frankly I’m too lazy to do something like that at the moment.

I also began to think about how else we communicate with others because I wanted, we wanted to get more people to approach us and ask questions. I realized what makes us seem approachable or not was our body language, facial expressions and even who we were with and how many our group consisted of. So much is encompassed by word “communication” and so many factors influence it, it’s no wonder how misunderstandings arise so easily between humans.

I just thought this was interesting because these ideas were always somewhere at the back of my mind but I never really understood their significance until that day.