INTRODUCTION
The objective of this assignment was to get to know the assigned block and compare and contrast it against itself at different times of the day, its past and its present. We were meant to learn about its history, geography and its significance in the city. This information was used to make a cohesive display of images in various formats, using Indesign.
MY PROCESS
I was assigned the block on 6th Avenue/Avenue of the Americas , between Waverly and Washington. I visited the block at 2 different times, once in the day and once at night. I was taken with the small details of the block and the church that sits at the corner. Its interesting history and use as a muse in various films was intriguing . I wanted to convey the sense of calm that I felt within the block in my photo layouts.
NARRATIVE
The block that I documented and observed was the stretch between Waverly and Washington street on the Avenue of the Americas. At first sight, the block was deserted and lifeless, but as I walked round I began to notice the charming red doors, the large columnar church and the red bricked buildings. In comparison to the majority of the city, it was quiet in terms of the chatter of the people walking by, the only sources of sound were the blaring horns of the surrounding automobiles. The only direct connections that one could draw to the city from the block were the street signs, which were authentically New York and the food truck that served hot dogs. There were a few commercial properties on one side of the block, they include CVS and a few small stores that seemed to be undergoing renovations. The opposite side projected a vintage appeal. It started with the massive ivory church flanked and standing on columnar pillars with a Crimson door. Beside the church was another small sand brown building, again with a crimson door. The next one was brick red and standing near was the tallest building on the street colored in white.
The church was built in 1833-34, which makes it the oldest purpose built Roman Catholic Church in New York City. The Church was built in Greek revival style and has survived two fires till date. The building serves as a place for 5 student clubs of NYU and hosts soup kitchen on Saturdays (since the 1980’s), this area is a hub of student activity. Several student residences are also located on this block and its surrounding locality. It is not only a place of student activity but also a tourist location because of its many tours such as Moments to Memories tours, New York City Ghost tours etc. Evan as a quite “happening” locality, the block maintains a very quiet and slow vibe.
Waverly street got its name from Sir Walter Scott’s novel Waverly in 1833, it was called Art street before that. The Block and surrounding places have been inspiration to many TV shows and movies, for example- Wizards of Waverly place which is a Disney TV series inspired by and shot on Waverly Street, Don Draper’s apartment on Mad Men is again situated on Waverly street, this street also served as a set location for the 2007 movie “I am Legend”. Washington street was named after president George Washington and is considered a historical street in the city.
At night, block did not transform, it did not evolve into a boisterous stretch of land, it remained calm and empty. If anything even the noises of traffic were eliminated, making it more tranquil than ever. Besides a few CVS shoppers, passersby and dog walkers the street remained vacant. The beauty in the day to night transformation lay in the small details and even the small similarities such as the difference in the shadows falling upon the crimson door, the bicycle that remained parked in the same spot as I saw it a week before, the glowing lights of the church that gave the pillars an illusion of being more elongated than they actually were. The small changes and the small similarities are what made the block comforting and even enchanting. This block reflects on its historical significance, quaint aesthetic and seems like a small piece of serenity in between the uproar of the surrounding city.
VISUAL DOCUMENTATION
The photos that we took were used to tell a story of the block. Like the noise of a block could be depicted by overlapping , or the more important aspects could be brightened , pictures could be spaced to show the slowing of time. We used various techniques to heighten the comprehension of the block.
The Block Grid
The block grid was the first step that allowed me to space out my pictures and form a sense of the important details, a sequence and cohesiveness. It allowed me to show the various hues of the block, whether it be the quiet charm , the traffic or the modern developments.
The Block Rows
The Block Rows were meant to showcase one side of the block, as if one were walking along the path. This exercise helped visualize the block and obtain a sense of space. It helped achieve a broad perspective of the side I chose . These exercises also helped me familiarize myself with adjusting photos and scaling them down on Indesign.
The Rough Overlay
This was an in class exercise that helped me get comfortable with working with layers, adjusting the transparencies of photos and overlaying them. I initially tried to show visual impact by increasing the overlay height of the more impactful buildings according to me.
The Final Layout
We were meant to use the pictures that we previously laid out of the side of the block and incorporate other images that we deemed were important within the grids, while adjusting transparency and gap. I wanted to convey a sense of calm and also show that the changes with the block from night to day were not drastic and lay in the small things. I laid out the same subjects, taken at day and night next to each other . I used space as my guideline, by placing pictures of the objects where they would geographically occur on the side of the block. The previous exercises helped me lay out these images to convey the message i wanted to send.
The Booklet
The booklet is almost like a little coffee table book of the block, showing the pictures that we’d taken along with the narrative of the block. This exercise was interesting as it showed me how to lay out a magazine .
