Site Visit # 2
In this photo, the upside-down ship that signifies the African Burial Ground is undergoing nearby construction. In essence, the landmark is changing. This scaffolding and the notion of changing monument reminds me that places have different meanings particular to the context they are in. The African Burial Ground has a deep, nestled history. It roots back to the time of slaves brought from Africa to New York City, was designated as a national historic landmark in the late 20th century, and now remains as a distinct piece of architecture, standing as an upside-down boat surrounded by a modern, busy, urban environment. Regardless of its long history, it is extremely relevant today. One of the reasons the grounds were allotted was to give African-Americans a larger and well-deserved voice in the narration of history. Time and time again, this group of people has been pushed to the side and given a side role. By preserving the excavated bodies and creating such a site, these slaves are made important in the events of the nation’s history. The notion of incorporating different racial groups into history is always pertinent, as evidenced by artistic works such as Hamilton and Moonlight and social movements such as Black Lives Matter. In New York City, promotion of racial equality and celebration is especially significant. The idea of change marked by the scaffolding in this photo sparked this area of interest.
Site Visit #1
For our i-movie project, we chose the Roosevelt Island tram. When I went to the tram I found the ride to be much more enjoyable than a subway ride. It also served more of a tourist attraction than a mode of transport, in fact, there were so many tourists running towards the windows and the seats. When I went in the tram, it wasn’t as crowded as I anticipated, especially during rush hour. Although there were people on the tram I didn’t pay much attention to them because I was so focused on the views around me. What I noticed was the tram ride was much slower than I had remembered. Although I’m sure that this was for safety reasons, it also compelled me to take a break and actually take in my surroundings. The entire tram has windows all over and this provided such a 3-dimensional view of the city. One could literally see the space in all 360 degrees. The ride also amplified this idea of escaping the busy city life. The tram crawls out of the claustrophobic urbanization of the upper east side into the vast sky where when we look out, it’s a collage of leading lines, directing our eyes all over the picturesque view. On one side we have the vast east river and on the other side, we have the Queensboro bride which really merged the idea of urbanization and nature coming together. In comparison to a subway ride, the tram was rather calm, it was slow, not shaky, and you could almost not tell how long was left in the ride. One of the biggest realization I had on the tram was how small we are compared to the rest of the world because there were small openings in the tram that allowed you to look down below and the cars and people look like small ants compared to such a huge river and shows the dominance nature has over man, which I often fail to recognize in the city.
Coney Island: A Dichotomy
Our location was Coney Island, this part of Brooklyn is a very diverse place. Coney Island transforms from a quiet relaxing area to a lively and bustling area during certain times of the year and depending on the season on certain times of the day. Coney Island has also transformed through time. This dichotomy can be seen by not only the new businesses that opened up across old and historical businesses but also through the differences in the murals found there. This picture is of an old mural which was repainted. This painting includes famous icons of the island like the Ferris wheel and of course the New York Aquarium. This is only one of the many examples of murals which were painted for the boardwalk. Near this mural were more novel murals and they had strong intrinsic messages. Often this message was about how plastic is polluting the bodies of water bordering the beach. The theme of mermaids was observed in many of the murals due to the Mermaid Parade which occurs in the summer. One particularly interesting piece of art which we found was on the faces of Coney Island which was in a weak condition.
As a group we visited Coney Island during the morning, the beach was practically empty, and the boardwalk was occupied people walking dogs, people jogging, people with small children and seniors exercising. Having visited it before later in the day, I know that the island changes into a vibrant place, now densely populated by teenagers and middle-aged adults visiting the amusement park and the museum and dining. I have never visited the island this early so the quiet and peaceful. Most of the stores were closed, and the walk and the train station and the streets surrounding it were relatively vacant. Coney Island has many dichotomies, including the murals and differences between past and present.
The subway of opportunity
Our space mainly consists of the New York Subway. This picture, in particular, is taken in the 42nd street station. The reason why I chose 42nd is because it has a lot variety. It contains multiple lines including the S(shuttle) line that helps transport people from the West to the East side or vice versa depending on which 42nd station you go into. You will not find this line on other subway stations.Actually walking and analyzing the space has made me realize that how unpredictable it can be. The West 42nd subway line has numerous spaces where there are either stores or performances going on. The performances can range from singing (both modern and traditional) to dancing (hip-hop to tapping). You can find practically anything in the station. It is almost like the space is a city on its own with its own way of life. The picture that is shown represents a woman walking by a poster. The reason why I thought I should use this picture is because it shows a very important aspect of the 42nd station subway. The picture shows people of different ethnicities and different classes. The woman walking symbolizes the everyday life of a New York citizen. It showcases all the people that are working hard and trying to achieve their own American dream. I believe that the 42nd street station represents the entire state of New York. Never have I seen people from so many backgrounds in one station. I can usually pinpoint where most of the people come from in a station, but this is an impossible task when I am at 42nd. It is also impossible to get a picture that displays all the aspects of this versatile space. Not to mention that the events change every time the space is visited! It would take several more visits to fully grasp what can happen in this station.
Sam Shepard’s Buried Child
The 1996 production of Buried Child was very successful in putting Sam Shepard’s script into action. The production did a very veritable job of following and expressing Shepard’s cues in writing and the implicit motifs. One of Shepard’s goals was to show an intensely flawed American family and his play script and the production demonstrated this very lucidly. One motif observed throughout the play is disillusionment. We see this with how Dodge and Halie two sons have never stood up to their expectations, how Dodge was a farmer but he hasn’t been a successful one for decades, also Hallie’s disappointment over Ansel and what he could have been if he had not died. We understand that this family has a weak economic situation and this is portrayed well by the set and props of the production. We see a bland worn down house and props such as a damaged TV, we see Dodge’s blanket had holes in it and they clearly did not have much furniture. Disappointment is considered a very negative mood, in this play Shepard creates a dull and/or wearisome mood. This is portrayed in the production by the dreary lighting and the way their characters speak. For example when in the beginning when Dodge speaks to his wife he coughs or smokes and we can easily tell that it is draining him to scream in reply to her constant yelling. We also notice some irony here how Halie keeps yelling from upstairs for Dodge to take his pills which will reduce his coughing, but she is making him yell and strain himself which is making the coughing worse. She clearly has the option of coming downstairs and speaking to him so he doesn’t have to exhaust his health even further, but she doesn’t. The theme of a dysfunctional family is also portrayed in the play and production. The relationships in this family are frustrating and not at all ideal. We clearly see the weak relationship between Dodge and Halie from the beginning, then we see the relationship between Tilden and Dodge is also strained as Dodge wishes that his son would support himself and not depend on him. Also traditionally Dodge is expected to make the money in the house, or at least his grown children, but neither seem to step up. Dodge is sick and does not do anything to support his family and the last time he farmed anythings was decades ago. The production made him seem depressed by showing drinking and smoking and just generally doing nothing, he seems to realize his failures with his family and their economic situation. The other relationships between the family members are also abnormal as there are many secrets are hidden in this unorthodox family dynamic. There is a lot of anger and stress in these relationships and is clearly expressed in their dialogues, as many of the conversations involve yelling. Overall the production effectively encapsulated everything that Shepard’s play intended to get across and reflected on Shephard’s themes of disillusionment and nontraditional family dynamics.
Buried Child- Script vs. Production
Sam Shepard’s play, Buried Child, has an essence of disconnection which is strongly captured in its 1996 production. Right from the very start, when Dodge is viewed on stage and Hallie starts talking, it is easy to see how Hallie appears to be concerned for Dodge and wants him to take his pills to make him stop coughing, and at the same time, she is constantly talking and yelling at him from the top of the stairs, forcing him to repeat himself and yell back to her, which only increases it. Hallie also constantly talks and runs around the house, acting seemingly busy, but it is obvious that she actually has nothing important at all to do. Tilden, their son, seems almost like a mere shadow in the house, constantly hiding behind Dodge’s commands and speaking as little as he can, avoiding all conversation and yet somehow being in the middle of it all. Bradley’s introduction to the scene makes it easy to see how he seems to think the world involves only his desires, since in the past he apparently was forced to listen to other’s commands, and Vince tries to make himself known to the rest of his family, only to run out of the house in despair when no one recognizes him. The 1996 production also capture’s Shelly’s character extremely well. In this house of disconnect, she is the only one who seems to have some sort of awareness of reality, and is the only one who tries to bring order to the house. The “Buried Child” script made me feel like Shelly was someone who feared the family, and yet wanted to do something to make the house feel more like a “home”. The production also makes Shelly have these strong feelings, as she constantly pulls Vince aside and begs to leave, and yet she acts so comfortably around Dodge once she feels more “at home” and tries to instill the same feeling into the other characters (expect Bradley, for obvious reasons).
BAM BAM showdown
Seeing the two Bausch pieces challenged me in every way possible. I was completely shocked at the performances. The movements and the characters caused me great confusion. The first performance Bluebeard, however, felt more ambiguous for I struggled to find the meaning of the play. The characters came in and out of sleep walking, expressing their innermost desires. It was not until the end, where I realized that the play was more about one’s dreams. On the other hand, the second performance Rite of Spring seemed more straight forward as well pessimistic. I could clearly see that there was some sort of ritual going on. There was a girl that was going to be offered up as a sacrifice. The story behind the play states that the girl needed to be offered in order to please the gods. The tempo Rite of Spring was more fast-paced compared to the more slow-paced dreamy tempo of Bluebeard. The two plays caused two different reactions from .I felt emotions of sadness and anxiety as I watched the girl being sacrificed. On the other hand, I was just baffled at Bluebeard. The entire play consisted of me trying to understand why the characters moved the way they did. Bluebeard also definitely challenged more than Rite of Spring. It gave unusual shock due to the fact that it was really something that I never would have expected out of a musical. Its form and content were slow yet mysterious. It seemed like a story without a rhythm or meaning was being displaced. Every single event seemed arbitrary, like it was there to just be there and keep the audience engaged. To contrast, Rite of Spring seemed like it had an actual story. The characters seemed to have a purpose to advance the story and sacrifice the girl. All of a sudden, you stopped being confused and you allowed yourself to be moved by the performance.
Cafe Muller and The Rite of Spring
Pina Bausch’s pieces Cafe Muller and The Rite of Spring both were so different than the dance form I am used to experiencing. That being said they were truly intriguing works of art. The Rite of Spring did strike me as the more conventional piece compared to Cafe Muller. A true challenge was trying to figure out the message she was trying to send through her two pieces. In Cafe Muller, more action generally was occurring with the younger women in a white dress, but I found myself looking towards the older women in the white dress in the corner for her reaction to the younger woman’s action. At some point, I noticed that she was repeating the younger woman’s actions, but almost lagging behind her. The younger dancer also had a male dancer helping her by removing the chairs and tables out of her way as she blindly walked or danced. The dancers were amazingly able to expertly assimilate these props into their performance throughout. I thought this was very meaningful as I believe that the theme of dependence is thoroughly evident in this piece. Also, it was interesting how the older women had no one to do this for her. I believe these chairs represented the obstacles one has to go through life and Bausch is trying to show us that life becomes easier when you have someone to help you clear the obstacles. There was a lot of repetition whether in actions, movements or in dance and this repetition added to the general mix of confusion and curiosity of the audience. As for the Rite of Spring, this piece was more orthodox as it has more uniformity and more synchronized dance. There was more conventional ballet choreography. It was interestingly done on a floor of soil and the dancers all were covered in soil by the end of the performance. The choreography made sure that there was a separation between the dancer whether it was by gender or attire. There were more rapid and sharp movements which amplified because of the great number of dancers, these movements and separation gave off the sense of aggression. In this performance, there was also a formation which had all the dancers working together at some point. I think that through this performance Pina Bausch was almost trying to tell us about traditional roles in society and rules in the society like the women at the end who wore the scarlet colored dress, and danced till her death. Through the performance, the cloth was passed from women to women and at some point men take it, but the women get it back and I thought the women were protecting it, but really they were the ones to embody it as I believe it represents sacrifice. Both performances had very similar aspects to them like repetition and the existence of gender differences, yet they couldn’t have been more different. In both Bausch is trying to send her audience an important message.
THE HIGH LINE: WHERE PAST MEETS PRESENT
The High Line is a rejuvenated part of the rich history of New York City. What was once a barren railroad track is now a beautiful repurposed elevated urban park. Even though the Highline has become a park now, its essence and charm stays true to its roots and past. The High Line has become an expression for artists of all kinds. Part of the experience of the High Line is the art that is seemingly ubiquitous throughout it. It has become a place for artists to showcase their chosen mediums. While I was walking on the High Line I was particularly captivated by these objects seemingly floating.
What the eye first travels to in the picture is those odd colorful objects, personally, I was really confused about their meaning as art which is why I decided to take a picture. I finally decided that the objects represent the different types of people who walk on the High Line, they all come in different shapes, sizes and colors. On the left side of the image, you see a new modern building which heavily juxtaposes the old vandalized building in the background. What is interesting is that on the vandalized building there is actually a famous mural titled “the floaters.” I thought that it was somewhat ironic that my picture focusses on the colorful objects rather than the famous artwork right next to it. Also to be noted is the expansive wooden walkway and the beautiful sun kissed greenery along the railing. The greenery was chosen by the designers of the High Line to reproduce the types of flora that used to exist on the old rail lines. You might also notice how the sky and the walkway are angled and sort of frame the other parts of the picture almost geometrically. Also to the right side, you might notice the blurred out people taking pictures of the artistic environment surrounding them. These people seem very small when taking the entire picture into consideration, but I view them as a significant part because they tell us part of the purpose of the High Line is. The High Line is a stage for artists and people go there to experience the art. This is what I imagine a person would perceive this exact place. The other people simply become a given part of the Highline, an extension of its essence as it was meant to be seen and appreciated. The extraneous human stimuli, like conversations between people, people taking pictures, people sitting down, are all drowned out and they simply focus on art that catches their eye whether it’s a natural form or a man-made form. While it can be a place to be alone and just enjoy some privacy it is quite the social area. People come with others to watch performances, enjoy the artwork, or simply because they backdrop for their personal pictures! The High Line is one place where humans are not the focus of the experience, the focus is heavily on nature, the artwork, the buildings-both new and old- and the unique experience the repurposed space gives to every person that sets foot on it.
The Highline through an artistic lens
The High line is one of New York’s many attractions that successfully merges history and urbanization. New York being a concrete jungle holds the title of swallowing the natural world with modern infrastructure, but ironically enough the Highline seems to reverse this stereotype. Here we have the natural world taking its “power” back, creeping in through the cracks of the pavement and railroad tracks, and even the most dominant color here seems to be green representing the natural environment, and the more industrial aspects of the Highline are contrasted with more dull colors, a combination of browns and grays, almost faded in a sense. What’s most interesting in the design of the Highline is the use of leading lines, although the railroad is the focal point of the picture, it acts as a leading line that creates a vantage point, drawing the eye to another element of nature, the sky. What’s interesting about the sky is its role seems to be parallel to that of green. We can’t visibly see the sun, but its rays are present in the picture, similar to the green making its way into the view. Another repeated pattern I saw throughout the Highline was how many of the railroads don’t continue, some transition into the pavement, and other into bushes. When I think of railroads I think of industrialization, the period of urbanization and this discontinuity confuses the viewer in a sense because living in New York, the urban life is a habit for us, but this forces us out of that habit and offers a 3-dimensional perspective or escape rather from urban life. Lastly, the Highline is evidently very interactive, after I took this picture and walked through the tracks, as expected they didn’t feel real at all, and I feel this was intentional because the earth didn’t come with rail road tracks, they’re clearly man-made, as much of our infrastructures are, and the construction happening on the right side of the picture amplifies that point.
