Read the following visual texts:

Steinberg, Saul. “View of the World from 9th Avenue.” The New Yorker, March 29, 1976.

—. “View of the World from 9th Avenue.” Saul Steinberg Foundation. 1976.

Make two columns: observations and interpretations.

Start adding details to the observations column.

Observations:

NY looks well developed

tall buildings (not very) 12 stories?

cars: are they 1970s models?

streets crowded with people, cars: or gives the impression, even though not high #s

NY is he biggest area

traffic light at 9th Ave

no traffic light at 10th Avenue

West Side Highway

somewhere above Houston and below 59th St

Avenue numbers indicated on streets

 

 

elsewhere: not well developed, lack of detail

everything is next to each other

Hudson and Pacific (labeled) not far apart

other side of the world seems closer

Across Hudson from NY: Jersey

Jersey just seems like dirt–beige or brown

west coast of North America is yellow (sand?)

different areas are different colors

country borders labeled

US drawn as rectangular in perspective

map not drawn to scale

drawn with colored pencils

using the conventions of maps: labels, colors, borders

what is labeled? Hudson River, Jersey, Canada, Chicago, Washington, DC, Kansas City, Nebraska, Las Vegas, Utah, Texas, Los Angeles, Mexico, Pacific Ocean, Russia, Japan, China–“Jersey”=lack of respect

aerial view

Magazine: The New Yorker. Read by NYers, others, cultural studies magazine, elitist appealing to well educated readers who have exposure to cultural events and arts.

March 29, 1976, 75 cents.

Steinberg (Saul Steinberg)

Message or thesis statement of this text: New York is more detailed compared to the more spaced-out locations included in the image because according to Steinberg, it’s more lively (exciting, dynamic, unique, popular) than anywhere else that seems mundane, non-descript.

NY is more crowded than everywhere else?