The Division Between the Natural and the Artifical
This photo represents how man-made structures have the power to dominate over nature not only on the High Line, but throughout New York City. The very prominent metal ramp divides the surrounding forestry into two. The bright, green leaves have no choice but to hug the ramp, while the ramp stands strong and proud. It is the focus of the photo; the first thing that attracts the eye when the picture is first looked at. The ramp, most likely made of steel and/or various other metals, expresses how the High Line’s modern, metal, and man-made structures were built around organic plants and trees. Along the High Line, you can see a man-made structure and an element of nature anywhere you turn. Nature and man-made constructions live in unison. This is not only exclusive to the High Line, but also New York City. Overwhelming skyscrapers and other man-made structures engulf NYC while nature has no choice but to share it’s original home with these powerful structures. The photo has a crispness to it; the color palette is clean and simple. The bright greens and yellows of nature coexist with the dull gray and silver tones of the ramp, balancing each other out. The modern sensation the ramp provides eludes to the modernity of the High Line, which is surrounded by unique buildings with eccentric, but simple, designs. The ramp in the photo serves a similar purpose to the High Line; it carries visitors to the next point on the High Line, just like the High Line carries visitors to different parts of NYC. The necessity of the ramp parallels to the necessity of other man-made structures such as roads and sidewalks, which serve to carry visitors throughout the city. Further, the photo displays a person towards the back of the ramp who appears to be looking towards the ramp. This person represents the millions of people that come to visit NYC daily, that are surrounded by both natural and artificial structures, but whose attention is only drawn to the immense and compelling man-made structures that NYC is home to. While these structures may belittle the surrounding nature, nature is still prevalent in the city, alive and well.
Photography Chain
This picture that I took encapsulates the essence of the High Line which can be defined as a highly artistic atmosphere. The photograph illustrates the projection of each persons’ aesthetics, which can be seen by the coincidental photography chain. Every body has its own artistic expression which affects each space and area differently. They each have their own auras that somehow blends and adds to the overall aesthetic. The image is scenic and calm but there is an underlying theme regarding the creation of art without conscious thought. In addition, there are also warm, luminescent undertones around the passageway and the two main subjects of the photo. The yellow glow directs the eyes to analyze certain aspects of the photos aesthetics. In contrast, the buildings surrounding the High Line has a colder atmosphere, showing how the park is one of the many pockets of artistic expression in a bustling metropolis.
In addition, there is also a juxtaposition of nature and modern technology. The High Line is a creation of modern architecture that implements nature in its overall structure. Although the High Line is already elevated, the tall buildings that surround it loom over the structure, showing how human creation has surpassed nature in a way. However, the plants are healthy and their bright green is enhanced by the previously mentioned warm glow. To a degree, this represents how the implementation of nature amplifies the unique aesthetics of the High Line. The plants add a distinctive aura to the artistic space, distinguishing the High Line in a city that is ironically called a “concrete jungle.” In addition the buildings that surround the High Line are examples of function over form. The buildings have their own aesthetic appeal but that comes second to the original purposes they were built for. However, the High Line (which is also a creation of modern architecture) isa prime example of how form enhances function. The High Line is based around aesthetics, which just strengthens the appeal of its overall purpose.
Details in Design
One of the ma
ny things that intrigued me about the High Line was the amount of detail and thought that went into the simplistic design. Many people focused on the art that is displayed along the manmade, cement path reminiscent of the railroad as well as the art displayed in the natural, self-sustaining shrubbery. However, art lies within the design as well. The design team, James Corner Field Operations, Diller Scofidio, and Renfro, was able to represent the High Line in even the most minute details such as the benches. As I walked along the cement slabs and viewed all of the art, I began to notice that every bench reminded me of the exact thing I was walking on. The bench, made of the same cement as the pathway, raised itself from the ground and flattened out much like the High Line rises into the air and supports itself. The natural and manmade elements that coexist on the High Line can be seen in the bench design as well. The bench uses the manmade cement to support something natural: People. The bright, yellow light underneath each bench represents the hustle and bustle of the Manhattan streets that one can only see when looking down. However, the light does not make its way past the cement seats of the benches, just as the constant liveliness of New York City cannot be heard from just a few feet above the streets.
Each bench had different people sitting on it, different thoughts, different actions going on all at once. This is exactly what, in my eyes, the High Line allows for; people coming together but managing to stay within their own world. Each person having their own thoughts on the pieces of art and experiencing each piece differently than the person next to them even if everybody is walking along the same exact 1.5-mile pathway in the sky.
Humans and Nature
While strolling through the High Line, I came across a sculpture called Rest In by Guan Xiao. The materials, the way it was stacked together, and how it was presented in descending height caught my attention. After reading the plaque, I found out that Xiao included structures that were made of wheel rims and brass, which are manmade items, as well as a vertebrate structure and cast footprint designs that represented life and nature. Her piece served as a futuristic approach at the inseparability between organic materials and manmade products, which perfectly described the way the High Line was built.
Initially an abandoned train rail structure, the High Line was built to safely transport simple everyday commodities within New York. However, after being abandoned with overgrown weeds and wild flowers, the High Line was reconstructed and relaunched as an open space public park for visitors to appreciate the arts and nature within the area. Although the High Line was physically built by humans, many parts of it also encompass nature such as the plants that grew on the tracks over time. Xiao’s work stands tall along the route, within wild flowers and grasses, where visitors can stop by to admire the way it was constructed. The cast footprint that serves as a pedestal illustrates an image of an island and the indents collected the rain water from the day before. Her incorporation of the vertebrate acting as the supporting structure shows how nature becomes the backbone of the High Line despite it being built with metal parts. Just as her work portrays the relationship between humans and nature, the High Line serves as the perfect place for people to walk along not only to see Xiao’s work, but also many other sculptures, or “mutations,” and scenery that is around it.
Breaking the “Threshold”
This is a photo of a performer from the show that took place at the High Line. In the show, named “Threshold”, the performers moved around at a slow pace to different places of their stage. They were either huddled all together or separated into groups. This particular part of the show captured my attention and I took a picture of it. Although it is not the most professional-looking photograph, I think it captures the spirit of the High Line.
The performer is sitting still in one position. You can see the legs of other performers on the ground to the right of him and the legs of the audience behind them. During the performance, the audience moved around the performers for their own reasons, while the performers keep the show going. His eyes are facing toward the camera (me), which is what struck me as interesting. He is looking at me, with his own thoughts most likely focused on sitting still to keep the show going as other people are taking photos of it. He knows what this performance signifies and is willing to show it to others. Meanwhile, the audience and the camera (me), live in a different world and set of thoughts, most likely trying to figure out what the performers already know. As his eyes stare into mine and the camera, he tries to communicate his thoughts to me.
The bridge of thought that his eyes create between the performer and the audience is what I believe the High Line represents: a bridge between two worlds. The High Line: a man-made overpass with a railroad looking out at the city skyline mixed with plants and trees, the magic of mother nature. It is a peaceful place where nature and industry coexist and make each other beautiful.
The Highline
This sculpture, the work of Jon Rafman, is titled L’Avalée des avalés (The Swallower Swallowed). This piece recognizes the way of life that many New Yorkers, and teenagers especially, fall into. We are constantly being engulfed in various forms of mass media, from platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat to broadcast stations such as NPR or CNN. It is easy to be caught up in the events happening around us, and therefore, it is just as easy to forget to slow down and enjoy where we are, and what is truly important.
The Highline is a place where the fast pace of an NYC lifestyle does not have to be so fast, but instead, one can take the time to focus on what surrounds them. Instead of being “swallowed” up by the current affairs of other people or places, one can truly admire the green of the plant life lining the old railroad tracks or simply sit and stare out at the water for relaxation. The muted colors of this piece prevents it from jumping out at the viewer in an aggressive manner, but rather invite the individual walking through the Highline to take a closer look, or read the accompanying plaque to find out the artist’s intended meaning of this sculpture. So, although this particular image does not capture the crowd that this attraction draws in, it reminds its audience to take a step back, to look at the beauty of the architecture, the greenery, the other art exhibitions, and just admire them. We can forget about the bigger picture that constantly consumes us, causes us worry and distress, and focus on the calmness that it has to offer. The Highline, along with its function as a small art gallery, allow us to remove ourselves from the chaos of everyday life.
new vs. old
The High Line – which used to be a railroad for trains to carry goods to and from Manhattan’s largest industrial district – is now a space where many people go to stargaze, view art, or just go for a walk, that opened to the public in 2009. As you walk down the High Line alongside old, rusted tracks with new plants growing between the metal rails, you will notice the small, old, and vandalized buildings with cracked exteriors standing right next to tall, sleek, and modern skyscrapers that seem to go on forever. The juxtaposition between the tracks and the plants as well as the styles of the buildings makes one appreciate their surroundings. When you look at them side by side you will notice the things that makes each of them unique. A flower is beautiful when on its own but when it is placed next to an old block of metal, its beauty is multiplied. Likewise, when you are surrounded by buildings that have the same features you can appreciate their characteristics but not the same way you would appreciate a petite, graffiti covered building with a rainbow flag hanging from the balcony standing next to mirrored building. Or seeing the sunset through a tall wire fence covered in vines and listening to the cicadas as you walk down a cement pathway. Or passing by a large patch of grass with a large statue of a winged lion right in the center. There is a great deal of contrast between manmade and natural, young and old. Each spectacle gives its counterpart more personality and the combined personality of everything you see at High Line is what gives it its charm and makes it the perfect place to go when you want to just take in your surroundings.
Sept. 12th – The Highline
I selected this photo to advertise New York City’s famous Highline as a museum space as opposed to the park space it is typically promoted as. One of the major critiques against this spot is its most recently established function in contrast to its original intention. Built as a park to capture the traditional style of railways and the modern feel of NYC architecture and to welcome New Yorkers from all backgrounds, the Highline is now often identified as an upper class, Greenwich Village hang-out spot and prime location for luxurious, corporate development. This photo exhibits the Highline as this more critical interpretation. Even according to John Berger in Ways of Seeing, museums have become a place for the affluent. This photo conveys the Highline as a museum, as it depicts a label and description of Alexandra Pirici’s artwork. The ongoing construction in the back and endless scaffolds signal the building of more real estate. The geometry of the objects in the photo (buildings, windows, rectangular sign) also takes away from the natural feel that is usually associated with the Highline. It has truly taken on an elitist element in this sense.
This is not to dismiss its aesthetic value and disregard its clear acceptance of all people. The Highline’s emerging status as a kind of “museum” also indicates its statement of public display. It is for everyone to view. Even those who are not physically aboard the Highline can view it. For example, people down below or observing from the Whitney Museum’s outdoor gallery, can also see it. However, this also establishes the Highline as a tourist attraction. As someone who has been here many times, the crowdedness of the public space on a weekend or hot day can make it feel touristy and unappealing as opposed to open and welcoming.
Renewal and Revival
#Lizi at the Highline
The Highline was once a desolate track where railroads ran, but its reconstruction has created an essence of renewal and public freedom, where the city, nature, people, and the track’s history coexist and reminisce together. When taking my photo, I tried to envision how a viewer would feel surrounded by this coexistence. The constant movement of the people contrast with the stillness of the viewer taking the scene in, and the bright greens of the plants blend in with the dull buildings which surround it. The plants brighten the image, making the scene feel more welcoming, and the variety of greens and yellows show the variety of plants which live there, just like the variety of people who cross the structure every day. They also show how it is possible for shapeless, natural beauty to work well together with the squared off grays and browns of human construction. The set of horizontal poles noticeably stretch into the distance, and the straight lines within the piece make it possible to imagine a train running in that very spot, coming straight towards or away from the viewer. The stillness of the structure itself also stands apart from the distortion of the constantly moving people. The entire picture converges to one point in the middle, making the people walking towards it, the plants, and even the structure itself imply that they will continue to coexist in the future. And despite all this movement, the viewer can only stop and stare, trying to grasp the beauty of the Highline. They’re trying to catch this moment in time on their phone, in an effort to relive the experience of walking it later on, but by doing so they’ve stopped focusing on what is happening around them – the daily life surrounding them has become a blur.
Blog Post 1 (300 words, due Tues. Sept 12 @ noon): Responding to one of the images you took of the High Line, describe how the image captures the unique aesthetic experience of the High Line. How does this image define the High Line for you? Consider things like line, color, shape, materials, bodies in the space, and any other aspects that help to elucidate your point of view. The main thing is to analyze the image as closely as possible. Be sure to upload your photo with your post!
Blog Response (100 words, due Wed. Sept 13 before class): Please be sure to leave a reply message responding to a classmates image anytime after 12pm on Tuesday. In your response, you should comment on how the author successfully analyzes their image in their post and what you admired about their image.
