Project 2: FINAL!

New York city, one of the most sumptuous cities in this universe. Consisting of surplus people who come from different backgrounds, distinctive cultures, who all hold different values. Contrasted through physical features; black, white, tan,tall, thick, skinny, but still remaining as one. New York is an overlap personified and has been for many centuries. Despite differences, people come together through an aesthetic consensus which eventually varies from generation to generation. Ultimately, the aesthetic of older generations revolved around large scale public works in comparison to today’s generation who’s aesthetics are based more on public art. Although they are two different views they can be found in overlaps.

In the past, New York was never as upgraded and innovative as it is today. In fact, New York’s progressive era did not begin until the 20th century. But through out this period, the country’s economy hit a crisis on October 19, 1929 known as The Great Depression. The crisis caused many negative factors to outburst such as deflation, a drop in demand for credit, disruption of trade and ultimately a widespread of poverty and unemployment. In response to this crisis, A New Deal was proposed and the birth of The Public Works Administration (PWA) was created. Seeking to revive the country’s economy, the PWA provided numerous jobs dealing with the building of public infastructures. In all, the PWA helped build the economy, provide people with a better way of living, and introduce prominent structures that were much needed. Projects that provided public welfare was aesthetically pleasing for this time, especially since the country was in need of all the help possible.

Present day, aesthetics aim toward public art. Introduced by The New Deal, public art carries a whole new genre today. In the past, it was predominatly used for propaganda purposes. Current time, it is used as an outlet to engage people with reality and provide conceptual messages. An example is Olek Says’: Rule #1 never be #2. This artwork sends a message to viewers about self-exaltation. Olek connects individuals to reality by reminding that there are people out there who suffer from self abasement. To interpret the concept, critical thinking is involved. One viewer may interpret and apply this message personally or another may ponder about the treatment of others. There are numerous assumptions that can be made. Artwork of all mediums can be found throughout the city whether its murals or sculptures themselves. Benches in Brooklyn Bridge park consist of weird shapes and colors, the Brooklyn Queens expressway underpass is home to two beautiful murals. It is evident today’s generation finds incorporating artwork into the public domain visually appealing and significant in keeping humans aware.

Despite the distinctive aesthetics, they can be found overlapped in current day. A great example that showcases an overlap are the “YES!” murals located under the BQE underpass. The works from the new generation literally overlap the BQE which in fact is a prominent structure to NYC. Although both overlap, they work together to create emphasis on one another. The color from the mural helps the underpass stand out while the large scale of the underpass helps to project the mural. This is how using both artistic tastes can balance each other out while still upgrading the overall look. The overlap generates more audience from all over. In a conceptual way, the underpass is like a doorway into Dumbo.  In a reading titled City Limits , Colson Whitehead writes “The city also puts a lot of effort into making your hometown look really drab and tiny”. This line showcases that regaurdless of generation, the focus is to make the city appear superior and utopian. 

Throughout time New York has lived to see many phases go by. Whether it was the 20’s, or the 40’s or the 70’s, New York has survived many marks and scribbles from countless generations. That being said there are overlaps all around us but sometimes arent that noticeable to the eye because they work seamlessly into your mind. There is a balance between what is and what was and together those two things will always coexist side by side. Like Whitehead says “The city saw all that. Remembers too.” (City Limits, 9) That quote displays how the city has been through history of all kind and remembers through various stains left behind.\

works cited

  • “Public Works Administration.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Dec. 2015. Web. 07 Dec. 2015.
  • Whitehead, Colson. “City Limits.” The Colossus of New York: A City in Thirteen Parts. New York: Random House, 2004. 1-12. Web.
  • “Public Art.” – Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Nov. 2015. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.

Project 2: Quotation (3rd phase)

The subjects chosen to contrast are the large scale public works and public art. What’s striking about this topic is how the visual consensus of people changing throughout time led to different outcomes that can often work harmoniously in overlaps. Specifically my project juxtaposes two murals which are drawn on the underpass of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. The BQE is an art form in itself and so are the murals but both are made through different mediums and apply to different fields in the art industry. The story I get when visually seeing and researching about New York City is one about growth and history. I had conducted a research on Public works and public art – . New York city was living in an enormous crisis. Living in debt and a poor economy caused the government to create a new plan. This plan was the idea of large scale public works. Large scale public works would not only provide plenty jobs to people who were unemployed but will also upgrade the city. The quotes i chose both come from Colson Whitehead’s City Limits. The first quote is “The city also puts a lot of effort into making your hometown look really drab and tiny” and the second is “The city has seen it all. Remembers too”. The first quote relates to how New York is consistently upgrading to become one of the best. A Lot of effort is put into attracting tourists or even local people. The second quote relates to overlaps throughout time and how the world remembers them through marks left behind. Graffiti is an example of a mark that signifies an overlap the world would always remember.

project2: (phase 4) first draft

New York city, one of the most grand cities in this universe. Consisting of surplus people who come from different backgrounds, distinctive cultures, who all hold diffrrent values. All contrasted through physical features; black, white, tan,tall, thick, skinny, but still remaining as one. New york is an overlap personified and has been for many centuries. Despite differences, people come together through an aesthetic cosensus which eventually varies from generation to generation. Ultimately the aesthetic of older generations revolved more around the concept of industrialization in comparison to today’s generation who’s aesthetics are based more off the idea of urban reconstruction through artwork.

In the past New York was never as upgraded and innovative as it is today. In fact, New York industrialization did not begin until 1790 and ended in 1860. Because New York did not have the skyscrapers, billboards, and shinning lights as it does today, building all of that would have been visually pleasing for it is time. Back then New York was ultimately a land filled with nature and a diverse range of species. Lots of farms, wildlife and more rural feel. But as time followed, more people began to migrate toward the U.S in hopes of a better life. This migration of mass people meant accommodations had to be made in order to fit the growing population. That is when the era of industrialization came into play. The new sights of large skyscrapers, roads and bridges was a new aesthetic in which the older generation appreciated. Present day, aesthetics of the new generation are more aimed toward urban reconstruction through art work. Artwork of all mediums can be found throughout the city whether its murals or sculptures themselves. Benches in Brooklyn Bridge park consist of weird shapes and colors, the Brooklyn Queens expressway underpass is home to two beautiful murals. It is evident that the generation of today finds that incorporating artwork onto industrilized things give a visual appeal reducing the mechanical aspect.

Despite generations containing aesthetics that were distinctive from one another, they can be seen overlapped in current day. A great example that showcases an overlap are the “YES!” murals located under the BQE underpass. The works from the new generation literally overlap the BQE which in fact is a prominent structure to NYC. Although both overlap, they work together to create emphasis on one another. The color from the mural helps the underpass stand out while the large scale of the underpass helps to project the mural. This is how using both artistic tastes can balance each other out while still upgrading the overall look. The overlap generates more audience from all over. In a conceptual way, the underpass is like a doorway into Dumbo.  In a reading titled City Limits , Colson Whitehead writes “The city also puts a lot of effort into making your hometown look really drab and tiny”. This line showcases the fact that no matter what generation, the same focus is to make the city appear to be superior and utopian. 

Throughout time New York has lived to see many phases go by. Whether it was the 20’s, or the 40’s or the 70’s, New York has survived many marks and scribbles from countless generations. That being said there are overlaps all around us but sometimes arent that noticeable to the eye because they work seamlessly into you mind. There is a balance between what is and what was and together those two things will always coexist side by side. Like Whitehead says “The city saw all that. Remembers too.” (City Limits, 9) That quote displays how the city has been through history of all kind and remembers through various stains left behind.

Continue reading project2: (phase 4) first draft

Project #2 Location

I have been going to Kings Plaza for as long as I can remember. Whenever I would go, I would always feel a rush of excitement to go to my favorites stores and look at the clothes and shoes to see what I could find, but a lot has changed. When I was a lot younger, Kings Plaza had a movie theater and my mom would usually take my sister to the first showing of whatever movie we wanted to see and we would have the best time. I was not and still am not sure how much money the movie theater made or if rent for them went up, but the theater eventually closed and was replaced by a Best Buy. Kings Plaza is also right next to the water so you’ll see seagulls, smell the hotdog stand and hear the noises of traffic. It does get a bit breezy, since it is right next to the water, but all in all its very nice.

Outside Kings Plaza:

Inside:

I have only been to Strike 10 Lanes once and in that area twice. Although I was with my mother and sister, I still felt lonely. Walking there from Kings Plaza is like culture shock because in and around Kings Plaza, it’s busy. There’s people around and a lot of cars passing by and it’s a totally different scene. The walk over to Strike 10 Lanes, does feel quite lonely, but at the same time I felt a presence of either someone or something. When you walk in, the first thing you see is the front desk, which usually has 1 to 2 people at it. The bowling alley also has an arcade so even though the space is not that big, the owners really took advantage of it. Strike 10 Lanes is kind of like a diamond in the rough. You don’t expect much from the area or from the outside, but when you go inside your mind gets blown.


 

 

 

Project #2 Process

The place that I chose is not 15-20 minutes away from City Tech. When we started talking about different New Yorks and the juxtaposition between one part of New York to another I started to think about Kings Plaza, which is in the Flatlands area of Brooklyn on Flatbush Avenue, and how it compares to Strike 10 Lanes, which, as you can probably tell from the name, is a bowling alley in the same area of Brooklyn on Strickland Avenue. As you walk away from Kings Plaza, going down Avenue U, you pass by a Lowe’s, Home Depot, and a Walgreen’s. As you pass by these places, it’s still pretty populated because the area around Kings Plaza is commercial, but when you walk further away it becomes more residential and sort of like a ghost town. On the way to the bowling alley, from Kings Plaza, you’ll see what used to be a marina that’s been abandoned for what looks like a long time. There are destroyed boats and garbage in the water. There is also no one around, even in the afternoon. You see more houses and some local stores, but other than that there’s either no one or only a few people.

English Project #2: Process

In the beginning of this project, I was nervous to start it. I didn’t know what exactly we had to do for this assignment. In class we learned about the word, juxtaposition. Hearing the word made me nervous more starting the project. From learning the meaning of the word, I slowly understood what we had to do for this project. For phase one, we had to go on a walk and find a location. In the beginning, I didn’t know what location I wanted to do and had to think about it. After going on a walk after class, I finally found what place I wanted to do. For my first draft, I had a hard time writing it. After the peer feedback, I decided to change the location. Writing the final essay felt easier than the first draft I wrote. But I still wasn’t satisfied with my final writing. It felt that it was short and I didn’t write all what I needed to write about. Overall the essay took about around 3 hours to do.

English Project #2 Process

At the beginning of this project, I first time heard the word juxtaposition, I have no idea of those word mean and what I have to write in this project. When I’m reading the project description, is about the overlap of different New Yorks from different period and different communities coexisting each other. On the walk of my choosing, that I already know what location I was going to go with, because of the place shows out the different view and easier to compare two different things in New York overlap in one place. I determined what to eliminate is something not important to put into my essay, also by reading comments to figure out the problem I missed. I keep changing my essay for every moment when some idea come to my mind, then lead to my essay might be unorganized and confused. by reading some classmate’s feedback improve my essay more clearly and easy to understand what I was talking about the overlap of different New Yorks. I took around twenty mins on brainstorming, one and half hours on outlining, two to three hours on drafting, one hours on  revising, and ten mins on polishing.

Project #2: Process

In my essay i knew what i wanted to include because i went over the points needed to be added in my essay and i found a way to work it into my project the best way i knew how. i added more information and detail about the area and the two buildings/stores i chose. i eliminated most things that were not important to the subject matter and most repeating facts i eliminated from my essay. to organize my essay i just put the into first and directions to my place then everything else just fit into place. my classmates feedback help me add what i needed into my essay like what i was missing, like the senses i forgot to put in my draft so i added that into my final project, and also by reading my classmates essay helped me see how to organize the essay and gave me examples of different thesis statements. i honestly lost track of time while doing this project because i had a moment of writers block toward the end of the essay.

English Project #2 Process

In this project, I have changed it for many times to make it easier for readers to read and better understanding. I realized what I wanted to include was after I saw the theme word juxtaposition, “the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side; also  :  the state of being so placed” , so I decided to start with choosing my two places that Im going to juxtapose. I determined what to eliminate is after my classmates leave me a comment. I  figure out the project’s organization after having met with professor, she inspired me a lot. My classmate’s feedback helped me to consider what to include and eliminate, example like grammar, sometimes I put “the” in the place don’t need to, and my classmates help me out with that. I spend 20 mins on brainstorming, 1 hr on outlining, 2 hrs on drafting, 1 hr on  revising, and 10 mins on polishing.

ENG 1101 Project #2 Process

When we discussed about the word, “juxtaposition” during our class time, I was not sure what that word meant and I was kind of in between of what I was suppose to do for this project. I had few ideas on that we have to explain, but mostly I was thinking about “How am I going to explain about the walk I done around Brooklyn neighborhood.?” After searching up the word, it made sense to me on what I must do for the project. Mostly, the brainstorming part for the project helped me what I needed to include. It also made me able to refined my work as I kept reading the sentence over and over, until it made sense to the reader and if I missed any part of the element that I needed. I determined what to eliminate, when words were unnecessary to the topic that we are discussing in the project. Some of the sentence were weaker than the others, so I carefully eliminated if it was unnecessary or not. My classmates’s feedback was the most helpful things that I received. Since some of the part from the project that needed to be fix, was only visible to the other readers. I spend on brainstorming ideas about an half an hour, thinking about what kind of overlaps that I wanted to explain to the reader and also looking at the pictures that I took from the walk I done with my peers. Other than that, outlining took be about thirty to forty-five minutes, and the drafting was about three hours, and forty-five minutes on revising. So in total, the amount of time I spend of writing this whole project was about five hours.