#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.