“If you go through life and you don’t find the beauty in an unexpected place, then you really have a sad existence.”– Octavia Spencer. This amazing quote by Octavia Spencer gives great meaning to how we view our great city. The majority of the world is lost in technology and other problems in their life. We as humans and people of conscious minds should take time in our day to just look around and enjoy the beauty our great city has to offer. The beauty that I got to see and get more into depth is Dumbo Brooklyn. The google definition of what is Dumbo Brooklyn takes away the beauty surrounding it with its waterfront and many grassy areas. Dumbo is known for its trendy restaurants and boutiques but as for its art galleries which as a COMD student standout to me. Once I visit Dumbo my family and saw two different art expos where one was national geographic. Dumbo really gave me something to remember as I went home. I traveled to many countries but there nothing like New York like in a Times article; “There are eight million naked cities in this naked city — they dispute and disagree”. This quote by Colson Whitehead really is true compared to other places like countries in South America that I’ve visited. When visiting other places you will never truly experience something like a place where you’re from which is my New York. Every day I see something new in our city because of its always changing motion which separates us from other places around the world.
On my 15 minute walk, I decided that I’d travel to Dumbo because it stuck with me the number of times I visited. This experience was asked by my professor to see juxtapositions in the area I chose. A juxtaposition instance of two elements close together or side by side that is often done to compare or contrast the two. When on the walk to our decided area we were asked to take a picture of the area that showed the juxtaposition. The picture I chose is one where the old tobacco factory and the railroad came together on the cobblestone path. The building was an old factory and gives contrast with the modern building in the area. Why should I even talk about the history of Dumbo there no real need? I am fascinated by any type of history and with this project, I wanted to learn more about what makes Dumbo so important. In this juxtaposition, I want to tell how history is still part of dumbo and these two elements in the picture relate to one another. Our beautiful city of New York originates from the colonists of the Dutch Republic in 1624 in Lower Manhattan. The history of dumbo originated from a man named Robert Gair who originally discovered this location that was just north of the new Brooklyn Bridge in 1880. The neighborhood in the 1880s was seen as an area where the rise of factories, docks, and warehouses. Dumbo was not the original name it went there many name changes like Rapailie, Olympia, Gairville, or Walentasville. The District Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass In Brooklyn “DUMBO” was known by a local artist who wanted to separate alienated developers of Dumbo. These artists wanted to be left alone and separate from others become there were alienated because of a lack of language and tradition.
1925
The 1970s, where Dumbo only costs less than six dollars, even tho many still invest considering that is was worthless and had no real value. The burdened of own land in Dumbo is costly and the building like condominiums are always sold in high profits and value. In the picture of Dumbo, you can see a railroad and I was curious about how it got there and its significance. This railroad was named the Jay Street Connecting Railroad and the railroad was connecting many terminals that served DUMBOs factories and industry. This really allowed DUMBO to be allowed to its industry and expand parts of New York. What amazing is the railroad served only dumbo and many companies were there to make shipments become of its fast movement. The Jay Street Connecting Railroad had, unfortunately, stop the factories in 1958becayse of the rise of vehicle transportation. All of these detail what makes the picture of DUMBO so unique. As I study more of art history in college I’m able to see the artists that find inspiration in the art such as railroads. A famous art that is in MOMA Edward Hopper, House by the Railroad, 1925. This is a real piece of art where Hopper in a late-afternoon paints his Victorian-style home with a railroad coming across its porch. The tracks are like a barrier that blocks the entrance to the house. This particular piece of railroad takes away from the landscape and isolates it from any place. The juxtaposition is the house and the tracks because the house is a traditional type of artistry and the railroad modernization. Hoppers other works had the main subject of lighting and subjects, but this painting has more representation. Many artists had meaning behind the reason why they paint certain elements to there paintings. As an artist myself I’ve learned that you should always give some type of meaning or symbolism because it could be used to help others understand. When I talk about meaning like DUMBOs history is its foundation of why it’s important and what makes it trendy and different.
“Dumbo History.” Dumbo NYC, http://dumbonyc.com/dumbo-history/.
Hopper, Edward. “Edward Hopper. House by the Railroad. 1925: MoMA.” The Museum of Modern Art, https://www.moma.org/collection/works/78330.
Pogrebin, Robin. “The Lords of Dumbo Make Room for the Arts, at Least for the Moment.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Mar. 2008, https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/06/arts/design/06dumb.html.
Whitehead, Colson. “The Way We Live Now: 11-11-01; Lost and Found.” The New York Times, November 11, 2001. Web.
