Timeline to 2050 – Pley

November 20, 2015September 1, 2016Leave a comment

The company I have been focusing on for this project is Pley. They are essentially a “Netflix for Toys” that allows families to rent Lego sets. Although they do look to expand to other types of toys, this is the product they are primarily focusing on right now.

For the beginning of this time line I wanted to focus on the company Pley focuses on, which is Legos, as well as a few other top toy brands. I discussed a few of the environmental problems Lego has suffered with in the past. This begins with when Lego paired up with Shell the oil company and promoted Shell in order to heighten its own PR and products.

I then go in to discuss some other problems within the toy industry as a whole such as major companies using AAP to package their products, even though they are linked to deforestation in Indonesia or even when toys were recalled for containing lead in them.

For the future I wanted to emphasize on the areas that Pley still needs to look into in order to improve their company and become more eco-friendly. For example, although this renting service is a good idea, the problem occurs that the products still emits a lot of fuels in order to constantly ship in and out the products to one main headquarters. Perhaps a better solution for this problem is for Pley to set up more of a Blockbuster for toys and parents can pick up the Lego set for locally.

I also think that because Pley doesn’t need flashy packaging in order to entice service members to buy the product, the company can cut down costs of packaging. Instead they can reuse packaging that does get shipped out or if there was more of a Brick and Mortar type store, packaging would be skipped over all.

Artist Books

November 18, 2015September 1, 2016Leave a comment

Influences :

Cósmico | Clara Fernández

Sophie Calle | Hacedores de Mundo

Amigorey Again | Edward Gorey

Continue reading →

Tompkins Square Park

November 15, 2015September 1, 2016Leave a comment

For a sizably large park, Tompkins Square Park lacked the crowd you would typically see in locations such as Union Square and Washington Square. To most, the name and location may seem hardly as recognizable compared to the rest of New York’s attractions even though its historical résumé qualifies the park to be just as important. The foundational reason for building Tompkins Square was the same as most other parks in the city, to increase land value and stimulate construction. However, the park’s vibe gives its own unique touch to the city that shouldn’t be forgotten (Van Hom, “A History of Tompkins Square Park”). It now serves as a retreat for those in the area looking to escape the noise from the hustle of the New York.

From first glance of the park, the place is a lot quieter than most other green spaces established in New York, as it lies hidden by the surrounding residential buildings and neighborhood cafes. With only two people resting under the Hare Krishna tree, this makes it an easy place to think in the heart of the park. There was no sound of construction or tourists to disturb the peace, just a path of grey stone under a ring of benches and the iconic piece of greenery. The sounds of Prabhupada and his followers chanting the Hare Krsna mantra still looms in the background. The only thing left behind to remember him is a bland plaque, covered up by the benches that park frequenters used to rest and turn their backs to the park’s history (“Srila Prabhupada’s Hare Krishna Tree”).

Heading towards the north side of the park and incoming from the right side of the tree is was the place to stumble across the dog park. Owners watch over their companions as they taste their sweet hour of freedom after being cooped up in one-bedroom apartment complexes all day or tin townhouses.

Pushing past the crowd that was no where to be found, I made it to a gathering spot where both children and nannies invaded the space. Instead of using the new modern playground or the ball court, the class created havoc in the courtyard behind the neglected Slocum Disaster Memorial. Even though it is the only structure built to keep the memories of the tragic and disastrous event that happened a hundred years ago, it remains a forgotten fountain that is decaying due to a century of city air and acid rain (“Slocum Disaster Memorial Fountain”).

Most other recreational areas aside from this courtyard were seemingly vacant. Not many gathered by the chess tables by the Samuel Cox statue aside from two old men having lunch and playing the game. Even the massive stone ping pong structures seemed very desolate until a woman came along and began stretching on top of the table.

Tompkins Square isn’t what it once was. There’s now a green market that frequents the park every Sunday (“Tompkins Square Greenmarket”) rather than the Tompkins Square Milkhouse that was built in the same location in the 1910’s (Bowery Boys, “The Ragged, Rebellious History of Tompkins Square Park”). All this covers up the comparably dismal past.

It’s not like the past always suffered through dark times. In fact, the original intentions of the park had pretty high expectations as area was originally foreseen to be as elegant as the districts toward the west until a widespread economic disaster spread throughout the city and country in 1837 (Van Horn, “A History of Tompkins Square Park”).

There are still elements to this park that bring back old memories of the Butcher’s era back in the 80’s, when Daniel Rakowitz went around serving the homeless soup made from his roommate and lover (Lee, “Butcher of Tompkins Sq. hopes to gain his release”). The homeless still gather in the center to lay about. But, the amount that bum around is underwhelming compared to the numbers of the Tompkins Square tent city. Since Mayor Ed Koch passed a 1am curfew and the 1988 riot, it’s as if those big old tents the homeless called shelter barely existed (Fleming, “Fight the Power: The 1988 Tompkins Square Park Police Riot”).

Those who come from the outskirts, those who have never stepped in this part part of the east side before may cringe at the thought of coming to this park. Afraid they might be stalked, tackled, and bludgeoned. However, those who remember the park when it hit rock bottom will just laugh in the stranger’s face. They’ll claim they know nothing of danger. They’ll twist Mayor Koch’s word’s “If you cannot afford to live here, move” (Fleming, “Fight the Power: The 1988 Tompkins Square Park Police Riot”) into their own version to warn visitors that if they can’t handle it they should just leave.

They’re angry at the ignorance of idiotic statements from the unaware tourist who passes by while throwing comments about how they would never bring their children to such an unsafe neighborhood even though Tompkins Square has already been cleaned up. Old timers will remember back in the days when it was normal for bike tires to flatten from the unsterile needles scattered across the ground from the many junkies that frequented the park.

Now that the park has finally been renovated, it was so peaceful being able to wander around. Everyone is kept to themselves in this spacious park. The homeless don’t seem to irritate the visitors of the park. Instead some actually interact with the guests and are just another friendly face.

One man, casually walking his dog didn’t seem to mind the stranger who sits next to him just to chat. Although the nannies do mind if you snap pictures near their children. They cut their sentences short, letting their conversation go from “maybe the bean bags, we should move them.” cut to “please step away from this area,” in order to keep the minors relatively safe.

The site was empty and tucked away behind many residential areas. This made the area both more eerie and calming. Historically, the park is major symbol for many of the problems that arise in New York. The social struggles the park faced between riots to homicide can be witnessed in just the air that surrounded the park (Fleming, “Fight the Power: The 1988 Tompkins Square Park Police Riot”). When walking around, all of this seems like nothing more than a faded memory with nothing more than a few of the homeless and the stale air to remind us that the events still existed there.

Works Cited

“Calendar of Events.” Tompkins Square Greenmarket. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.

Fleming, Joe. “Fight the Power: The 1988 Tompkins Square Park Police Riot.” Complex. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2015.

Horn, Laurel Van. “Lower East Side Preservation Initiative.” A History of Tompkins Square Park. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.

Lee, Tien-Shun. “Butcher of Tompkins Sq. Hopes to Gain His Release.” Butcher of Tompkins Sq. Hopes to Gain His Release. N.p., 28 Nov. 2015. Web. 07 Dec. 2015.

“Slocum Disaster Memorial Fountain, New York, New York.” RoadsideAmerica.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2015.

“The Hare Krsnas – HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada – Hare Krishna Tree, Tompkins Square Park.” The Hare Krsnas – HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada – Hare Krishna Tree, Tompkins Square Park. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.

“The Ragged, Rebellious History of Tompkins Square Park – The Bowery Boys: New York City History.” The Bowery Boys New York City History. N.p., 10 Jan. 2014. Web. 30 Nov. 2015.

Story Mind Map

November 13, 2015September 1, 2016Leave a comment

Story is a permanently located retail store that allows retail shops to be sponsored. A store will be set up for four to eight weeks where they are given 2000 square feet of space to test out their companies. It is similar to those lab areas or shared spaces where people can work on their company. However, with this model, companies have to ability to test out their businesses with actual customers before they actually launch.

New York Times goes in to detail about some of the companies successes. There have been a variety of types of companies that have already set up shop here. There have been typical retail shops that sells products such as makeup, speakers, notebooks, etc. They have also branched off into services such as creating a Wellness yoga studio. But, one of the most unique opportunities Story has worked with was sponsored by General Electric which created a Makers Studio when customers were inclined to trying technologies such as the 3D printer or a robot that draws. Because a certain product couldn’t be sold in that project, most of the Story owner’s revenue came from the sponsorship.

When switching stores, Story also shuts down for an entire week to rebuild the shop. At the moment there are no signs of expansion for the company, although they do hope to expand their social media presence.

Detailing the Systems

Water systems –

Production

Transportation (Similar to what we calculated with the food project)

Maintenance – Cleaning the store as well as plumbing, restrooms, Air Condition, etc. Anything that keeps the shop running can need water.

Material systems –

Goods/Products – The items being purchased itself

Displays – Tables and mannequins that may display the products

Decor – The store must change any of the decor around the store every time a new store is established. Story makes sure each shop is themed and the decor and furniture around the shop reflects this theme.

Social systems –

Customers/Shoppers

Start-up companies

UN Notes

November 13, 2015September 1, 2016Leave a comment

Proposition for Subway Art

November 11, 2015September 1, 2016Leave a comment

For the next project, start to “scout” a neighborhoods of interest that does NOT have subway art.Study the area and propose an “art installation” based on the character of the area/ neighborhood. We have witness the relevance of air/ design in site specific location. How can art and design create positive experience for people to interact within a given space?

I have chosen the station 57 Street on 7th Avenue. It is a small subway. Unlike Union Square, which pretty much connects to any train, 57 street only connects to the NQR trains. However, it is still pretty local to some big sites such as The Stephen Colbert Show, Studio 54, Broadway Theater, Radio City, Rockefeller, and The MoMA. It’s such a small place, which is what would make the art really stand out. It would be a great location to include an installation making use of light that would reflect Broadway and a few other entertainment center’s bright atmosphere.

The station is so old and bland that I don’t think many people think to stop here much. But, it is also a pretty slow station, so if there was a piece of art down there, people may be more inclined to stop. A good design and piece of art can sometimes make areas more easily navigable as a person can get a good sense of what the area represents. Art also creates more peace in a location. People will feel less inclined to tamper with a place because they don’t want to be the ones defacing the piece. It can really make people stop and think.

Once you get out of the station the streets are pretty quiet. It is local to a few bars, cafes, and hotels as it is at the top of Midtown and more towards the West Side.

History

The Street began in 1891 when Carnegie Hall was built.
1916-1917 Cass Gilbert designed Rodin Studios1924-1925 Steinway Hall
Station opened as an extension Broadway subway to the BRT system fro Times Square.
It was the first train to run over extended route (at midnight)
Earlier that evening a special train containing Public Service Commission, city, BRT Officials, Merchants Association and citizens representing Forty Second Street was ran over the line.
Opened in 1919
To the North of the station are tunnel stub headings running straight from the local tracks for a proposed line under Central Park West, that would have terminated at 145th Street or 155th Street. It runs abut 500 feet
On 57 Street , One 57 is a 75 story skyscraper building that was built in between Sixth and Seventh Avenue and was completed in 2014.It is a luxurious residential building to help portray the high end feel of the Southern part of Central Park.
57 Street is known as Billionaires’ Row due to several similar projects.
These projects set controversy due to economic conditions and zoning policies
The towers are feared to have impacts on surrounding areas and will cast a shadow over Central Park.
There are many other buildings such as Channel 13 Headquarters, New York’s Public Broadcasting Station, Carnegie Hall, Art Students League, Hardrock Cafe, Planet Hollywood, Bat Bar, and Warner Bros. Design Store
Architecture
- Fuller building with Art Deco Style
- Gilded Chimney on Crown Building
- Dark Green Former IBM Building
- Fleche topped Ritz Tower
- American Society of Civil Engineers and Architects – constructed in Beaux arts style in 1897.
- French Renaissance art building was constructed in 1891-1892 for American Fine Arts Society and Architectural League
- The Art League of New York – many renowned artist refine skills here. 2,500 students learn at this school today
In the Past 57th Street from Avenue of Americas to Seventh Avenue had Primarily been known for music. Now it’s also a toruist “mecca”.
Art related users fight for space up here

Sources:

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9E04E3DD123FE432A25753C1A9619C946896D6CF

http://www.thecityreview.com/57st.html

http://forgotten-ny.com/2010/11/west-57th-street/

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/09/realestate/streetscapes-57th-street-between-avenue-americas-seventh-avenue-high-low-notes.html

http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2014/09/25/why_57th_street_is_the_supertall_tower_mecca_of_new_york.php

http://www.walkingoffthebigapple.com/2009/11/cultural-guide-to-west-57th-street-walk.html

IMAGE:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One57#/media/File:One57_from_Columbus_Circle,_May_2014.png

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/57th_Street_(Manhattan)#/media/File:Carnegie-hall-isaac-stern.jpg

Staten Island and Brooklyn Trip

November 11, 2015September 1, 2016Leave a comment

For this assignment I wanted to portray a certain hierarchy of the sites that stood out to me during my trip. In order to choose which buildings, sculptures, or locations I would add into this drawing, I searched through my photos and drew which ones immediately popped in my mind. The top was the bench and the Sea glass carousel. Both sites were both so vivid. The bench in the Brooklyn Water Front park was just this bright orange color and the artist spread them through out the park, contorting the benches in any way he pleased. The Sea glass carousel was also unusual as it spun in several different directions. I also never really though of carousels only being composed of fish.

The next I began to draw buildings we saw at Fulton Downtown Brooklyn, Vinegar Hill and Brooklyn Heights. The sites were interesting and I could remember pretty clearly how calming the walk was unlike walks through Manhattan.

The last piece was the Manhattan Skyline we saw on the Staten Island boat cruise. I decided to make this the most faded because it’s the most disconnected I felt with the city. It’s just so far away and intangible that I don’t really remember much. Being so far away, you can’t really get a sense of the New York atmosphere.

Subway – Colson Whitehead

November 9, 2015September 1, 2016Leave a comment

The Story of What Happened – Naturally Dyeing Fabrics

November 5, 2015September 1, 2016Leave a comment

My piece for The Story of What Happens details an experience I had working on a project for the class Sustainable Systems. The assignment was to color fabrics with a natural dye using raw scraps from foods or plants. The experiment elapsed for about a week between gathering materials and actually dyeing the fabric, but it was interesting to see this length of time complied into just a few minutes.

My original idea was to just portray this assignment. As we began learning about the different functions on Adobe Premiere, I wanted to change my idea to scenes about my day-to-day life after learning how to use the multi-cam function. However, I decided to stay just using the footage from the dyeing experiment as it would present a stronger piece.

Being able to connect a few of the scenes was difficult. Because this project spanned over such a long period and I jumped between two locations, I had to figure out a way to still connect these jumping scenes together.

For example, there was two points where I skipped from buying supplies from the farmers’ market at Union square and back to my dorm. In order to connect this together, I rearranged some of the stills I used in the film so that it fit better. I also cut down the length of time I spent a the market so that there wasn’t a big focus on it. The Union Square scenes were also turned into black and white to portray that those scenes came before the scenes in the dorm and that there was a distinct disconnect between the scenes.

I also tried to play around with sound. I thought the music went well with the beginning scene where I was walking, which is why I decided to include it mixed in with the sounds of the street noises. I also decided to include a narrative to explain the entire process that occurred to make the story clearer.

Another effect the I wanted to play around with was the position of the clips. In the first scene. I cut the scenes at points that matched the beat of the music. Towards the last scene I created a transparent overlay of one scene on top of another to display two correlating actions happening at once.

The last bit of editing I included was including a title scene. At first I didn’t think about putting it in the film, but in the end it felt appropriate to allow the viewer to know what this video was about as it is a sort of tutorial/process explanation.

The video seemed to simplify the time spent on the project. When viewing the video it, I could still sense the hard work put into dyeing the fabric, but the viewer doesn’t feel the dragging feeling of waiting for the for each part of the experiment to finish. It was interesting to get a sense of how both perspectives felt of actually being there in the moment versus just watching the moment happen.