Herrick Lam

Arts in New York City

Historical Fiction Assignment

Prof. Hoffman

Exploring New York City

The Collaboration

            It was a Friday morning in New York City. The city was bustling with people trying to get to work on time. There was a rhythmic sound from the thousands of footsteps moving simultaneously. It was a very nice day with the sun warming the skin and the wind giving a refreshing breeze. However, the economic state of the city was anything but nice. The stock market crashed a few weeks ago and people are panicking. People lost a lot of money and many of them lost their jobs as well. Meanwhile, in Penn Station, two people from different backgrounds would meet to embark on an adventure to find inspiration and hope in the city.

Paul Strand was a photographer who worked for the New York Times. He was a middle- aged man who lived in New York City. He often wore plain clothing, nothing that was too ostentatious. He is meeting with John Cage at Penn Station. John Cage was a musician who worked in his own studio. He also lived in the city and he usually wore a shirt with no tie for the sake of comfort. Both artists have decided to collaborate on a project by getting inspiration from New York City. Since both of them enjoyed art in its natural and raw state, they’re works complemented each other really well.

“Let’s get some pizza before we do anything,” said Paul Strand to John Cage enthusiastically.

“Sure, at least we can afford that, hopefully the economy will recover soon,” John Cage replied.

While both Paul and John were affected by the stock market crash, they didn’t want it to affect the spirit of their adventure. They both tried to maintain high hopes for their project’s success.

Central Park

“Let’s start from Central Park and make our way down the city,” Paul said to John.

“Sure, let’s begin our journey by enjoying the beauty of nature.” John exclaimed.

They both took a train up to Central Park, which is an 843- acre urban park in the center of Manhattan. Both of them enjoy strolling through the park in their free time to enjoy a piece of nature while still being in the city. However, this time, they were there with a purpose. They wanted to capture subtle details of the area for their project. Using these elements, they want to be able to create a collage of music and photos of the city for an upcoming art exhibition. Armed with his camera, Paul took photos of the trees, the wildlife, the people, and the sun as the backdrop of some of the photos for natural lighting. John did not come empty handed. He went equipped with a sound recorder to take in the mix of all the sounds in the park. Sounds such as the birds chirping, the squirrels running, the trees swaying, and the people walking were everywhere. They all came together to create the magnificent harmony in the park.

“Wow, what an incredible place this is,” Paul said to John.

“Shhh, I’m trying to capture the beautiful melodies of the park and the city,” John whispered to Paul.

Then, their friend, George, who is a painter, spotted them and approached them from behind.          George was wearing jeans and what was a white t-shirt before all the paint got all over it. He had a smile on his face because it has been a while since he has seen either Paul or John.

“Gentlemen, what are you guys doing,” asked George.

“Greetings George, John and I are doing a project together,” Paul replied to George.

“Oh, hi George, what brings you here,” asked John.

“I’m just here to paint a picture of Central Park for a museum and enjoy some fresh air,” George replied.

“Sounds good, we’ll catch up with you another time, we’re busy at the moment,” said John, who was already irritated from all the interruptions.

The Empire State Building

After Paul and John were satisfied with what they had, they took the subway and headed down to the construction site of the Empire State Building. They wanted to share with people the hope of a better future by taking pictures of the construction of the Empire State Building coupled with the sound of the workers working. When they arrived, they were stopped by David, who was in charge of keeping people out.

“Stop, this is a restricted area, only authorized personnel are allowed through,” said David.

“But we’re with the New York Times and we have been given clearance from the mayor to enter for some pictures and sound recordings,” Paul explained.

“Ok, just be careful and stay alert, this is not a safe area to be,” David cautioned.

“Thanks, we’ll try out best,” John said, trying to reassure David.

Wasting no time at all, Paul took out his camera and started taking pictures of the progress of the building. He took photos of workers in their tattered clothing hard at work.

“Wow, these workers are really efficient, I’m sure it will be done the next time I come to take pictures again,” Paul said excitedly.

John took out his recorder and held it up high to try and capture all the sounds of the workers and machinery moving about. He also used his recorder to interview a few of the workers. He asked them questions like when they think it will be done, how are they recovering from the stock market crash, how much time they spend a day working, etc.

Wall Street

After visiting the beginnings of the Empire State Building, Paul and John both decide that it was time to go to Wall Street and take candid photos and recordings of the aftermath of the stock market crash.

“Let’s go downtown to Wall Street now, I’m curious as to how everything is there,” said Paul.

“Good idea, Wall Street has made the most noise in the city since the crash, I’m interested in listening to what people have to say,” John responded.

Both artists take a train down to the financial district where they see crowds of people everywhere. Paul and John see people gathered together in protest. They see people smoking, probably as a coping mechanism for the stress they’re going through. They also see a lot of homeless people on the streets as a result of the crash.

“Look at the disarray of all these people, things don’t look good at all,” Paul said.

“I agree, you can hear all the people in chaos and confusion,” John said.

“Let’s just get what we need and go John” Paul said hurriedly.

Paul once again took out his camera and took a photo of the people moving about doing their business. John used his recorder to take in all the sounds going on around him, like the people all talking at once and their footsteps stomping all at once. They both wanted some answers as to what caused the stock market to crash so severely. They meet up with a trader named Eric, who has been trading for years now.

“Eric, what exactly happened to the stock market,” Paul asked.

“People wouldn’t listen to me, I warned people that this would happen if people kept borrowing and investing on margin. I told them that the stock market would eventually collapse, but people were too optimistic and they only saw the money and not the risk,” Eric explained.

“Do you see any progress since the crash and how long do you think it will take for the economy to recover,” asked John.

“It’s still too early to say, but just know things look pretty bad right now,” said Eric.

Brooklyn Bridge

After leaving the chaos of the financial district, Paul and John go towards the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. Paul continues to take pictures of the city, the people, and the cars. John also continues to capture the sound the city makes. He records the sound passersby make and also the sound cars make in traffic. They take in the nice breeze from the East River and they also capture photos and sounds of the boats running along the river.

“Wow, what a stunning view of the city, there is nothing like New York City,” Paul marveled.

“Yes, I couldn’t agree more, New York City is truly remarkable and one of a kind,” John said in agreement.

“Especially with the Brooklyn Bridge, New York City is capable of expanding even more. Can you believe how significant this bridge is to the city, it’s amazing,” Paul screamed.

“Yeah, it made a lot of sense to build this bridge because there had to be a way to maintain the natural flow of the city. Since the city was beginning to run out of space, this bridge became an outlet for the city and all its glory to spread,” John said excitingly at this revelation.

Results

“We have traveled throughout New York City, and we have met people from all walks of life. This city is such an incredible mix of culture and diversity,” said Paul.

Both men reflect on their journey together that day and understand that it was a day well spent. They start sharing each other’s works to see how they can both come together in their big presentation. They decide that John’s music will become the backdrop of Paul’s photographs. It adds an extra dimension to the pictures so people can hear the sounds as if they were in the picture itself.

“Wow the details in your photos are so clear and crisp, great job with the photos,” John said approvingly.

“Thanks, your recordings sound great, they really highlight the beauty of nature in that it’s very organic,” said Paul in admiration.

Both artists publish their work and they both receive widespread acclaim. They meet the mayor of New York City and the president of the United States, both of whom congratulate them for their success.