Upon our arrival to the High Line, I searched frantically for an example of architectural significance in the space to which I could attach my analysis of art among one of New York City’s most celebrated highlights. I fruitlessly took many photographs of the space until coming to rest my gaze on Alexandra Pirici’s “Threshold,” where I finally saw what the unique structure and architecture of the High Line provides: quotidian life as art.
When looking upon the scene of the image I photographed, I was perplexed by the performance, for I could not completely tell who in the image was not a performer. I could perceive that the two individuals at the left corner of the foreground and the people lying on the ground like fallen soldiers were the dancers. However, I struggled in accepting that the people in the background were spectators. The embracing couple had been resting in that position for many minutes. The family with the two infants interacted with one another in a cyclical fashion with a performative, seemingly fabricated warmth. I theorized that these seemingly ordinary audience members must have, too, been a part of the performance, to show the fine and invisible threshold between performer and spectator, between art and life.
While I came to realize my theory was false, this showed me, however, a significant aspect of the High Line as a structure. The elevated, open, stage-like nature of the High Line allows one to look upon their fellow citizens as art. Like the guest of the high line travels along the modern path that once was that of a railroad one can appreciate the life that shapes and experiences the passage of time: the visitors of the high line, themselves. The High Line is therefore able to serve a purpose in showing the art, nuance, and beauty in everyday life and society. The visitor of the high line is concurrently the appreciator of art, the artist, and the art itself.
I felt the same way about the performers! That had to be my favorite part of the performance- realizing that the people in the background were separate from what was going on in the middle, but also taking in that all of the people watching were just as much part of the show. A lot of people love the High Line for the scenic landscapes and the view of the sky, but in the picture you take, it seems so unimportant. The background is pretty much a blur and what you can make out are the expressions and poses of the people.
I am so interested in the idea of how the audience members interacting with the performers blurred the line between art and life. You did a fantastic job of then connecting this idea to how we experience the high line, especially how it affects our view of those around us. In this line “The elevated, open, stage-like nature of the High Line allows one to look upon their fellow citizens as art” I appreciate your discussion of the architecture of the bridge and your ability to analyze it in a way that conveys the intersection of art and life. You have brought me to realize that perhaps the high line brings us to value and appreciate our surroundings more.
P.S. This image is so dynamic. It is so filled with the presence of the performers and the audience in such a small space that it truly conveys your idea about art being melded with life.