Pulic Realm New Yorker Cover: Final Exam

   For most (if not all) Americans today, somewhere down the line your grandparents or great-grandparents came to this country as an immigrant from lands afar and they most likely came to live for a time in the grand urban sandbox known as New York City. Like a child entering an amusement park for the first time, they were most likely awestruck by the sights and sounds of so many people mixing and intermingling together in the inner city public realm under a new banner called America; yet tragically this idea of the productive and equal city realm has long since died out and has been replaced by the chastised and disregarded urban setting of today. The idea, which author James Kunstler argues in his essay "The Public Realm and the Common Good," is that the public intermixing of the big cities actually strengthens the community and nation as a whole and by exiting the big cities to live in suburbia, we are losing a major part of ourselves in the process. As expressed in the cover art of "The New Yorker," we need to reclaim this important part of our history before it is lost forever and our civilization falls into ruin.

   A prime example of what your grandparents must have felt like in New York City during the immigration rush of the 1920s and 30s, would have been expressed in the 1936 and 2007 cover of the "New Yorker." The imagery of an overstuffed elevator with all different people just trying to get inside this lift to the top is a powerful image to put into context; while the idea that hundreds of people from all walks of life mixing and passing on their traditions to those around them is a beautiful image in my mind, each one a precious gift or sweet treat to be savored as expressed in this cover. But it is a dream that has all but died out in our modern cities; the rich and cultural elite have abandoned these metropolises in droves to isolate themselves in behind the great walls of the suburban landscape and escape the confines of the big city. Without the vital intermixing of new cultures to the city, the urban dream began to stagnate and die out as the city became the stereotypical domain of the poor-underclass. With the poor left to their own devices, they created laughably poor recreations of the environment their grandparents lived and turned to television to ease their need for a positive, social role model since all the prime examples have fled to the urban setting. As quoted by Kunstler: "They do not see people routinely going about honorable occupations. What they do see all around is mayhem, squalor, and disorder, and almost no evidence that it is possible to live a happy life without being a sports hero, a gangster, or a television star."

   In the final "New Yorker" cover from 1974, we see a large glass cover building over a sunset with the reflection of an old museum in the background. This cheaply built and constructed office block is a joke compared to the grand and everlasting construction methods used in years past as the old building will last a hundred years longer then the new plastic-like model we have now. Just like the buildings, our own world of social separation and almost nonexistent cultural diffusion across class boundaries will not last for long.  It is only when we can all admit to ourselves that this separation was a bad idea, go back to the days of old and intermix again in the mighty metropolises that we will begin to start our nation anew, even better and stronger then it was before! This was the dream that your ancestors held in their hearts when they came to America, to start over again in a better land then what they came from. If we cannot get people to coming together and strengthen each other, then we have true become a failed society.

Disconnected Urbanism Final Paper

   From a historical standpoint, most of our greatest inventions of the past were simply implemented to decrease our own work load: when we couldn't outrun a deer we invented the spear, when we couldn't carry a heavy load all at once we invented the wheel. And when we grew too far apart from one another, we needed to invent a way to be able to communicate with each other in a reasonable amount of time. Finally after many variations in communication technology we have arrived in the age of the cell phone. There are approximately over 4.6 billion cell phone subscribers in the world today and this simple machine has drastically shaped not only our ability to communicate with others, but how we view the world. As  Paul Goldberger argues in the article "Disconnected Urbanism," the cell phone is taking away the individuality and sense of connection to others as expressed in other forms of communication in the past. But it is not just Goldberger who have refused to accept this fate of becoming part of a symmetrical world; "The New Yorker" has been proclaiming the downfalls with technology in the sociological sense for over 80 years and much of their arguments come down to their magazine's cover art.
  
   Text messaging and calling have forced us to connect in a very similar matter to the rest of the world and denies us the ability to express ourselves like within a letter or while verbally communicating with someone face to face. But this should not come as a great surprise, as the more heavily reliant on technology we become the more we become disconnected with society and those around us whom we share our lives with claims Goldberger. We now spend more time on our little pieces of plastic then we ever have in the past and in many cases more time then with actual people. This new age based around the rise of apps and Internet capabilities, what's the point of waiting weeks for a letter or having an actually face to face conversation when you can just Facebook chat? These little devices have slowly made their way to become the focal point of both our personal lives and our daily careers; without a cell phone to constantly update some people's lifes with e-mails, texts, and notifications they won't be able to function. They couldn't even read a newspaper without a phone in many cases as the digital revolution is destroying the paperback industry. 

Throughout it's history, the New Yorker has been exploring this connection between the lost of personal communication and technological interference through their fascinating cover art. Within every generation that experiences a new form of technological advancement, the younger members of society will easily adapt to it while the older members will cautiously warn others of it's apparent shortcomings. Like in this particular cover from 1937, we see this struggle of man and technology play out as a couple is stranded out at sea with a broken a engine. As the man desperately attempts to repair their motor, his date/spouse looks longingly out to sea with a look of almost disappointment and sadness. With the man's back turned to her, I believe it's almost a metaphor for how our obsession with technology is keep us from spending that precious time with our friends and family. Instead of enjoying the day together, they are hopelessly letting their technology control and dictate their behavior towards one another. But it's not just in the sense of losing connections to family that the New Yorker explores.

While the detachment from our emotional surroundings and family/friends is a serious issue expressed, another more serious option explored is how it affects us in a spiritual sense. Like in this cover from 1971, a monk is seen strolling through the plaza of a monastery while listening to what appears to be a radio. The life of a monk is often taken with a vow of silence in order to help distance themselves from the problems of society, while devoting themselves completely to the Lord. This may seem like a harmless and rather comical representation that a monk, who supposedly is not allowed to contact the outside world, is actually breaking his vows to connect with the world outside his brotherhood's domain, but does this mean for the future of religion in a world dominated by technology? We are increasing living in an age where people are relying more on their phone then their God. Where once millions of people would express their beliefs with their neighbors every Sabbath for guidance on real world problems, now adays people are staring at their GPS as their only source of direction. This characteristic lack of individuality is sadly missing from people today; making the possible holy men of tomorrow alittle bit less devoted to God and more to the phone.

  

   This brings us to the most recent cover art I have selected to express this conflict in socialization and technology. This cover from 2007 shows a small child holding a cell phone while taking a picture of his parents in their bed. Apart from the fact that this not only deeply disturbing, that a child would take a picture of this kind of intimate behavior of his parents, but it is interesting to me that this child can operate a phone so well while being so young. In this little boy's childhood, it is not only normal but expected for most of your socialization to take place online in this new generation of Aim, texting, and Facebook. In my family, we have almost always set aside dinner as our "family time" where we could diccuss our days events and share news with one another. It was a great time to talk, tell stories, and make jokes, all true merits of socialization and key aspects that a child must learn growing up. But now, we have replaced this critical lesson with people texting and making phone calls with others possibly hundreds of miles away instead of talking with one another right in front of you. Lessons like this are already being taught to children at such a young age and by their family none the less; how will these future adults be able to grow up without a phone in their hands texting away? Truly in a society like this, even childhood individuality is a memory of the past.

   Each person's own life experiences are what make us who we are and none of us are exactly alike. Our opinions, personality, and childhood are the defining traits that shape the mold of our future selves, but these traits are being thrown aside by the new defining factor in our lifes. Today's more modern smart phones may have been around for only a couple of years, but the impact they have left on our society has been mind-blowing and frightening; they have become the new central tool for most of our generations social interaction and left a gaping void where human contact should be taking place. Goldberger was right in the sense that the cell phone is disconnecting from each other, just as the New Yorker has warned us of how each new gadget throughout history has been slowly destroying the next generation's sense of personal expression. As Goldberger quoted: "...the phone they are the same. Every place is exactly the same as every other place. They are all just nodes on a network—and so, increasingly, are we."

Paper 3: Disconnected Urbanism

   When it comes down to brass tacks, we humans are a very creative yet lazy species in the animal kingdom. From a historical standpoint, most of our greatest inventions of the past were simply implemented to decrease our own work load: when we couldn't outrun a deer we invented the spear, when we couldn't carry a heavy load all at once we invented the wheel. And when we grew too far apart from one another, we found another challenge to over come; to invent a way to be able to communicate with each other in a reasonable amount of time. From smoke signals, to letters, to the telegraph, and finally to where we are now; there are approximately over 4.6 billion cell phone subscribers in the world today and this simple machine has drastically shaped not only our ability to communicate with others, but how we view the world as claimed in the article "Disconnected Urbanism."

   In the article, the author Paul Goldberger argues that unlike the ways of communication in the years past the cell phone is taking away the individuality expressed in other forms we communicated with in decades past. Text messaging and calling have forced us to connect in the same way and denies us the ability to express ourselves like within a letter or while verbally communicating with someone face to face. Although this should not come as a great surprise, as the more heavily reliant on technology we become the more we become disconnected with society and those around us whom we share our lives with claims Goldberger. It's not an hard arguement to make if you think about it; we now spend more time on our little pieces of plastic then we ever have in the past, now with the advent of apps and internet capabilities, what's the point of even having an actually face to face conversation when you can just facebook chat? But it's not just Goldberger that has taken this stance against the relentless march on technology, "The New Yorker" has been proclaiming the downfalls with technology in the sociological sense for over 80 years and much of their arguements come down to their magaizines cover art

   Throughout it's history, the New Yorker has been exploring this connection between the lost of personal communication and technological interference through their facinating cover art. In this particular cover from 1937, we see this struggle of man and technology play out as a couple is stranded out at sea with a broken a engine. As the man desperately attempts to repair their motor, his date/spouse looks longingly out to sea with a look of almost disappointment and sadness. With the man's back turned to her, I believe it's almost a metaphor for how our obsession with technology is keep us from spending that precious time with our friends and family. But it's not just in the sense of lossing connections to family that the New Yorker explores.

   While the detachment from our emotional surroundings and family/friends is a serious issue expressed, sometimes the New Yorker likes to point fun at their own policies. Like in this cover from 1971, a monk is seen strolling through the plaza of a monestary while listening to what appears to be a radio. The life of a monk is often taken with a vow of silence in order to help distance themselves from the problems of society, while devoting themselves completely to the Lord. This may seem like a harmless and rather comical representation, but does this mean for the future of religion in a world dominated by technology? Religion has always been at odds with science since the age of Newton over the workings of the natural world; so when people begin to rely more on their phone then their God, the possiblities to conflicts to arise is always a reality along with the characteristic lack of individuality.

   This brings us to the most recent cover art I have selected to express this conflict in socialization and technology. This cover from 2007 shows a small child holding a cell phone while taking a picture of his parents in their bed. Appart from this not only deeply disturbing that a child would take a picture of this kind of intiamate behavior of his parents, but that this child being so young can operate a phone so well. In this little boy's childhood, it is not only normal but expected for you to do most of your socialization online in this new generation of Aim, texting, and Facebook. Social skills normally being learned through face to face interactions are forgotten skills of the past when a few simple texts can make up a whole conversation. If these lessons are already being taught now to children like this, then how will people be able to grow up without a phone in their hands texting away? Truely in a society like this, even childhood individuality is a memory of the past. 

 

  
  

How Technology Disconnects Us From Society (New Yorker Covers)

   Humanity's evolutionary progress and technological achievement have been interconnected throughout recorded human history; whenever a problem occurred we found a way to ease our own burden. When our load was too heavy we invented the wheel, when we couldn't run down our prey we invented the spear, and along with the millions of other examples of our technological progress have led us to our current global domination of our environment. But has there been a hidden casualty to our rise to the top? Have we lost the most basic ability of human interaction because of our reliance on technology?

   Throughout it's history, the New Yorker has been exploring this connection between the lost of personal communication and technological interference through their facinating cover art. In this particular cover from 1937, we see this struggle of man and technology play out as a couple is stranded out at sea with a broken a engine. As the man desperately attempts to repair their motor, his date/spouse looks longingly out to sea with a look of almost disappointment and sadness. With the man's back turned to her, I believe it's almost a metaphor for how our obsession with technology is keep us from spending that precious time with our friends and family.

    While the detachment from our social surroundings is a serious issue, sometimes the New Yorker likes to point fun at their own policies. Like in this cover from 1971, a monk is seen strolling through the plaza of a monestary while listening to what appears to be a radio. The life of a monk is often taken with a vow of silence to help distance themselves from the problems of society to devote themselves completely to the Lord. This may seem like a harmless and rather comical representation, but does this mean for the future of religion in a world dominated by technology? Will the fates of the past learn to cooperate with science or will they react in a hostile attitude?

    This brings us to the most recent cover art I have selected to express this conflict in socialization and technology. This cover from 2007 shows a small child holding a cell phone while taking a picture of his parents in their bed. This is not only deeply disturbing that a child would take a picture of this kind of intamate behavior of his parents, but that this child being so young can operate a phone so well. How will this affect this generation, where it is not only normal but expected for you to do most of your socialization online? If these lessons are already being taught, how will people be able to grow up without a phone in their hands texting away?



      

New Yorker Covers 1970s-2000

Covers from 1970-2000

This cover was created in 1971 and depicts a monk casually strolling through a monastery listening to a portable radio. This shows me the relationship that religion has with modern technology; traditional religious orders are happy when technology works with them, but when it threatens their power over the people their attitude shifts to a more conservative view.

This cover was created in 1988 and shows a group of massive electric cooling fans blowing in a desert as a pair of tribal horsemen look up with a sense of maybe confusion or amazement. I'm positive that this is a refernce to the problems faced in Africa at the time of advanced technological development happening without addiquate resources to have them be any use to the local populations. A side effect of technological imperalism if you will.

This cover is from 1990 and shows Atlas holding the world atop his shoulders, yet it is so dirty and poluted that he must wear a gas mask to avoid the smell. A consequence we don't always see is how the technological/industrial progression of man can have a negative impact on the enviroment. I mean, if the guardian of the Earth can't stand the smell of our world, it doesn't look like a good sign for the rest of us. 



New Yorker Covers Pre-1970s

Covers from Pre- 1970

   This cover was created in 1931 and it depicts the construction of some large building or a stone quarry. Massive construction machinery dots the area as do men working with large, digging tools or construction equipment. For me, this cover shows the massive amounts of time and energy saved by industrial and technological innovation. 

This cover was created in 1934 and it depicts 3 angels singing some kind of Christmas song on the radio. Because the angels show faces of unhappyness, annoyance, and dissatifaction, I believe this cover shows the tension between the traditional (classical angels singing Christmas tunes while looking unhappy) and the rise of technology in even an earlier stage of American Society (old style microphone broadcasting the angels songs.)

This final cover was created in 1937 and depicts a young couple trying to enjoy an afternoon ride on their little boat, but it appears their motor has stalled out and the male is trying to fix it as the women looks out to sea with dissapointment. This cover shows me the disconnection that often follows when technology (which is suppose to make our lifes easier) distracts us from the world and people around us who we care about.

Disconnected Urbanism Summary

   In many examples of science fiction based lore, a common thread in some plots includes the idea that humanity creates new pieces of technology that eventually begin to rise up from their creators and conquer the world. The idea that humanity will create something that we cannot control, which will lead to our downfall, is a scary real possibility in this new age of discovery and innovation. To many, this seems like a pike dream that will never happen in our life time; but to  Paul Goldberger author of "Disconnected Urbanism" the first assult has already been initaded by the machines, and it's probably sitting right next to you.

   Yes, I'm talking about your handy, little cellphone; that piece of plastic that seems to control all the aspects of your social lifestyle. Consider this, how much time do you think is eaten up by spending it on your cell phone in one day? Now multiply that general number for the amount of days in a year; thats alot of potential time spent with family of meeting new people in your community gone right? Thats the arguement that Goldberger is trying to make us to understand; that people are simply spending too much time on their phones worrying about trivial details and "he said she said," when they should be concerned about what is happening around them. We've let the public places of the cities and subards become our own little backyard as we text or chat our way to our next destination; what ever happened to the days of random bumping into a long lost friend and catching up on old times over a cup of coffee? Now adays we simply have to "poke" them on Facebook to get an update on how their dog is sooo cute or some other meaningless information.

   Goldberger is trying to tell us that by relying so heavily on technology, we have effectively handicapped ourselves in our ability to socialize without technology as a cruch. They say that wars always begin with words, followed by action; whose to say that the next "LOL THATS SO FUNNY!!!" text will herald the end of days for humanity. It's a long and mostly improbable situation, but for good karma sake lets follow Goldberger's advice and turn the phones off people.

A Child In the Technological Era

   Technology, it is a simple word that can take on a number of different meanings. It is a never ending road of discovery and innovation that affects ever aspect of our normal life in our modern civilization. Look at the everyday things you use everyday: cell phones to keep in constant communication with family and friends from a dozen, hundred or even thousand miles away, electricity to give light and power, computers to research and store whatever data we find necessary, and many other examples. But is there a downside to all this rapid technological expansion; my question is what is now happening to the children being brought up in this new age of technology and interconnection?

   Most of my generation was born right at the start of the rise of the internet, a time where the interconnection of people through a computer screen was just becoming a serious reality. So to an extent, we have had the most time to allow this new form of communication to influence us. In my opinion I have mixed feelings on how beneficial this new system of communication is. It helps with saying in contact with old friends who live in far away places, keeping me update on my social plans, and allows me to find information on anything at a given moment. But one of the downsides that I can see is that some people can no longer communicate to others without the help of an electronic. These individuals become nervous and timid around others simply because they have not learned the proper way to carry on a prolonged discussion or learned how to relate to others. Social anxiety levels are on the rise in this country, so much so that now there are special programs you can attend to learn proper "socialization" techniques.

   Given, not everyone who uses a computer will become a paranoid, antisocial shut-in, but the fact that the number of these people, who have this social disorder, is rising is a major matter of concern. People need to learn to not rely of such a false sense of friendship and interact with others in your local community. 

3rd Cover Analysis

  It's no surprise that as a people, New Yorkers are often times held in both high regards and deep resentment compared to the rest of our nation. Some love us because of our close association to the financial security of our nation's future, our many contributions to the sciences, and our cultural accomplishment towards the arts and theater. On the downside, New Yorkers have rapidly gained a reputation for being a bully towards thoses who don't follow our example of rapid progress; it's not that we try to live up to this stereotype, but we're living in a city that never forgets, never takes the easy way out, and never stops moving forward even for a day. Past and present collide, old world meets the modern age, and in this city where traditions and innovations mix, we need a piece of literature that can soothe our fast paced tastes, while reminding us of our history. The New Yorker is the answer to that hunger for a familiar face, but with a cutting edge attitude; in David Hockneys' cover painting of "Shoes,"this can be most accurately described for his new interpretation on an old talent. 

   David Hockney has been a well known and respected artist in painting for the past 50 years; Hockney is so well known and talented that he has won several prestigious awards by the artistic community and has sold many of his greater works for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Always looking to improve upon his work and explore new alternatives, Hockney began to experiment using the new "Brushes" App on his IPad. This was mostly a hobby for him in his spare time inbetween his main projects, but what Hockney soon  discovered was the inspirational and technological breakthrough he was looking for to boost his creative drive; this was a new system to experiment with, a way to create art out of thin air and send to thousands of people instantaneously for an opinion. Hockney was soon able to create numerous paintings, sketchings, and doodles on his new found "artistic playground;" his art was so revolutionary and creative that the late Steve Jobs even commissioned Hockney to continue advertising his paintings using Apple products. But some traditionalists could not fathom that such a highly respectable and prestigious artist would lower himself to relying on technology instead of a brush and paper to express his emotions. Some more traditional artists deemed his art a heresy and even went so far as to refuse to recognize his creative as nothing more than "scribbles on a computer."

   What Hockney has done with his new style of artisit expression is to simply live up to the New York way of life, adapt to the new and blend with the old; a necessary skill in my eye for any healthy culture. Originally, I viewed "Shoes" exactly as it was printed on paper: a rather simple looking picture of a pair of black and brown dress shoes placed next to a rather colorful wall. At first, I was puzzled as to why this simple piece of computer art was so inspirational that it made the front cover of such an artistically prone magizine like the "New Yorker." His other more famous creations using the IPad also included rather simplistic focus pieces: for example, in the case of "Still Life Flowers" a pot of bright purple flowers or in "Landscapes" a simple multicolored sunset over looking a bay. By using these rather traditional subjects, I saw a pattern that Hockney was (either intentionally or accidentally ) trying to express to the viewer. That Hockney wasn't trying to use his art to promote the idea that technology was trying to replace the old values held by the artistic community today, but that by combinding technology and art together we can create beautiful masterpieces that would otherwises be locked in our minds forever. The idea I most clearly see being interpreted is that using new technology is the only way to expand upon our ideas of artistic creativity.  It's the perfect representation on how New Yorkers are able to keep the old, but use new and better innovations to help better ourselves.

   At first, I had serious doubts about what topics and ideas I could express about my cover. It looked so simple and unimportant; but as I dug deeper into this paintings back-story and the politics surrounding this "unimportant computer scribble," I grew to form my own unique opinion about this representation of the New York lifestyle. Maybe that's the point Hockney was originally trying to express? That a person's first negative opinion is nothing more than an instinctive reaction to express our fears in something new and unfamiliar. All this negativity is just on the surface, however; apparently, you just need to do is dig alittle deeper then the surface appearence to discover a new ideas true value and importance towards humanity.

2nd Cover Analysis

   It's no surprise that as a people, New Yorkers are often times held in both high regards and deep resentment compared to the rest of our nation. Some love us because of our close association to the financial security of our nation's future, our many contributions to the sciences, and our cultural accomplishment towards the arts and theater. On the downside, we have a reputation for being a bully towards states who don't follow our model; it's almost like if New York is the ringleader in a teenage click and passes judgment on those who follow a different path. But for me, New York is great because of our ability to keep what as made us great in the past and tie it together with the new. This state is best defined by the people who live, work, and breath it every day, and David Hockneys' cover painting of "Shoes" for the New Yorker collectively shows a progressive state looking forward to the future with a connection to our history.

   David Hockney is a well known and respected artist in painting, so much so that he has won several prestigious awards by the art community and has sold paintings for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Always looking to improve upon his work and explore new alternatives, Hockney began to experiment using the new "Brushes" App on his IPad. What Hockney discovered was the inspirational and technological breakthrough he was looking for; this was a new system to experiment with, a way to create art out of thin air and send to thousands of people instantaneously for an opinion. Hockney soon created numerous paintings, sketchings, and doodles to try out his new found "artistic playground;" his art was so revolutionary and creative that the late Steve Jobs even commissioned Hockney to continue advertising his paintings using the Apple product. But some traditionalists could not fathom that such a highly respectable and prestigious artist would lower himself to relying on technology instead of a brush and paper to express his emotions. Some more traditional artists deemed his art a heresy and even went so far as to refuse to recognize his creative as nothing more than "scribbles on a computer." My answer to them is this: were cavemen first criticized for drawing on walls by their peers? What about the first human to convey poetry onto paper instead of passing it on through oral communication, was he denounced and mocked also?

   It is human nature to be afraid of the unknown and strange, it's how our ancestors learned to fear the predators that their cavestep and avoid the creepy-crawlies hiding in the dark. But what Hockney has done is simply live up to the New York way of life, adapt to the new and blend with the old; a necessary representation in my eye for any healthy culture. Did we stop the "Times Square New Year's Eve Ball-Drop" just because we moved into a new century, or did we close down "The New York Stock Exchange" after the market tanked? The answer is most definitely no; we researched our mistakes, educated ourselves to prevent another collapse, and kept moving forward with our heads held high and our eyes towards the future! Hockney may have kept his style to simple everyday objects, but either intentionally or by accident his art can be used to represent the complex issues in society today. The issue that I see most clearly being interpreted is that by using the next new technological is the only way to learn and better ourselves and expand upon our own creativity. For me, it's the perfect representation that New Yorkers are able to keep the old, but use the new to better ourselves.

   At first, I had serious doubts about what topics and ideas I could express about my cover. It looked so simple and unimportant, but as I dug deeper into this paintings back-story and the politics surrounding it I grew to form my own unique opinion about this representation of the New York lifestyle. Maybe that's the point Hockney was originally trying to express? That we're not a state filled with the stereotypes of crocked cops, loudmouth businessmen, and corrupt politicians; but that all this negativity is on the surface. You just need to dig alittle deeper to discover its true value and uncover the past.

1st of Cover Analysis

   It's no surprise that as a people, New Yorkers is often times held in both high regards and deep resentment compared to other areas in our nation. Some love us because of our close association to the financial security to our nation's future, our many contributions to the sciences that have come out of our brightest minds, and our cultural accomplishment towards the arts, theator, and the beauty of our monuments. On the downside, we have a reputation for bigotry against states with a different view, the overcrowding of our cities, and the reputation for letting money come first over family and friends. For me, this state is best defined by David Hockneys' painting of "Shoes" as a progresssive state looking forward to the future with a connection to our history.
  
   David Hockney is a well known and repected artist in painting, so much so that he as won several prestigious awards by the art community and has sold paintings for hundreds of thousands of dollars. So it was deemed a heresy by some of the more classical members of the art community that his cover work for the "New Yorker" was created using Apples Inc. "Brushes" App; they could not fathom that such a highly respectable and prestigious artist would lower himself to relying on technology instead of a brush and paper. My answer to them is this: were cavemen first critizied for drawing on walls by their peers? What about the first human to convey poetry onto paper instead of passing it on through oral communication?

   It is human nature to be afraid of the unknown and strange, it's how our ancestors learned to fear the predators that their cavestep and avoid the creepy-crawlies hiding in the dark. But what Hockney has done is simply live up the the New York way of life, adapt to the new and blend with the old. Hockney kept his simple style of everyday objects to represent meaning to complex issues, but used the next new technological leap to expand upon his creativity. For me, it's a representation that New Yorkers are able to keep the old, but use the new to better ourselves.

   At first, I had serious doubts about what topics and ideas I could express about my cover. It looked so simple and unimportant, but as I dug deeper into this paintings backstory and the politics surrounding it, I grew to form my own unique opinion about this representation of the New York lifestyle. Maybe that's the point Hockney was originally trying to express? That we're not a state filled with the stereotypes of crocked cops, loudmouth businessmen, and corrupt politicians; but that all this negativity is on the surface. You just need to dig alittle deeper to discover it's true value.

New Yorker Cover Midterm

   It is no big shock that we, as a nation united, are in major trouble. The recession of 2007 is still taking it's horrible toil on our economy, our position as a global superpower, and perhaps most importantly this financial catastrophe has shaken the common man's trust in the government/stock market to his/her core. The stock market is at the forefront of every major finacial decision we now have to make, like a Old Testament prophet commanding the common man to embrace a new deity for the sake of salvation. But when the prophet can't deliver the promises made, the people become furious that they have been taken advantage of in such a way and seek revenge; it's no different today, except that it's alittle harder to stone corporate to death.

   In this New Yorker cover art, we can see that the artist is most definatly trying to show the evils of the corporate side to New York. The smoke and haze gives a feeling of ominous malice, while the smooth, sleek sides with little color gives a cold, unfeeling look to the tall skyscrapers. Poking up through the smog below are exhaust towers and in my opinion, they represent the little power that the common laborer has among the wealthy and powerful. The proud CEOs and businessmen sit above in the choking, confusing fog the common man stumbles around in simply trying to make sense of what is happening in the world above their heads and paygrade. Sitting atop the second highest building is a structure made to represent the US treasury department and it is feeding fuel to the factories below. It shows that money is tied in directly to the final skyscraper. It is the massive, looming centerpiece in the cover; a mighty bull sitting atop a the largest building staring almost proudly above his kingdom of the corrupt and corporate. Much like the Golden Calf built by the Israelites, this idol (coincidentally the bull is also a logo for one of the major banks in business today "Bank of America") is shown to have complete control over the lifes of the wealthy even to the point that a massive temple is built to prove it's power over them; effectively we have done this by worshipping the modern market so and effectively declaring it a god in the process.

   When the common man lost his money in the financial collapse, they were in a panic and begged the government for help in securing their jobs and money. And so, putting the people's best interest at mind the government began to bailout the large companies to hopefully stabilize the rapidly growing black hole of our national debt. But after weeks turned to months and months turned to years, the economy was still in the tank and the people wondered where had all their money gone? The answer was financial corruption and misuse in the mess that was corporate America; as more facts of large bonuses and payoffs surfaced, many grew from a furious standpoint to one of action. Recently, the occupy Wall Street Movement has been growing in strength and support as more and more people see now the evils that worshiping a god of money can have. This is mostly associated with Wall Street because of New Yorks longstanding connection to both greed and the growing wealth of industries.

   We as a nation are at a crossroads in this country, our economy can no long function as it has served us in the past. Without proper reform, our debts will continue to pile up until the even the hope of paying them off will seem like a distant dream and the people will continue to rant and protest in the streets as fat cat corperations will continue to suck any remaining capital out of our pockets. The time to act and change is now; a future of social anarchy does not have to become the outcome of this financial crisis, but if we continue listening to these false prophets of Wall Street then our faith is sealed and damnation will awaits us all.

  
  

New Yorker Work, Reader Inference

   It's no surprise that New Yorkers see themselves as above the cut compared to everyone else. We see our city as one of the (if not the) best city not only in the United States, but globally based on our rich history, cultural superiority, and continuing strives in technology and economics. Yes, we can be seen as rather crude and sarcastic when it comes down to it, but by simply looking at our literature can clearly see a connection between the our past and present way of thinking.

   By simply looking at the title cover, we can view a seemingly classical painting of a pair of dress shoes sitting side by side next to a rather symbolical looking wall paper. In actuality this is not a painting in the traditional sense as it was created in a studio using paints and canvas, but it was created using the new "Brushes" App for the Ipad by renouned painter David Hockney. This point of new technology replacing the old ways of thinking is even more apparent in Hockney's advertisement for the new "The New Yorker" App where his more traditional painting is transfered from the old style of canvas and wet paint to the modern version of electronics and pixels.

   But it is not in just the arts and technology we express our supposide "superiority" among the other areas of the world. This magizine is filled with articles on editorial reviews of novels, poetry, and movies; all of them written from the perspective of the cultural elite of the Big Apple pouring over preformances and documents like an eldery wizard examining some lost texts of old.

New Yorker Work, Compare and Cite

   For my New Yorker Cover Art, I was selected to do David Hockney's IPad art creation called "Shoes." Looking at "Shoes" for the first time threw me into utter confusion; I expected the see a cover of a grand skyscraper, political symbol, or even a snapshot of Central Park! Not the simplistic painting of a pair of shoes lying before me on my desk, but after researching Hockney's other works I began to see a method to his style.
   After doing further research into Hockney's backround, I discovered that he had become a major advocate for drawing old classic paintings using new modern tecniques. More specifically, Hockney's most well know modern works have been created with his IPad app "Brushes" and he has been in contract with Apple to promote his art using their system. "Shoes" was painted on his IPad, but so were other striking successes including "Landscapes" and "Still Life Flowers" both shown on the left hand colum. In my mind, these classic painting being created using such sophisticated technology is like a wake up call to the rest of the art community.

   Classic painting is often times seen like a tradition set in stone. For example, for hundreds of years the stereotypical painter slaving over a canvas for sometimes weeks at a time to capture an image was for the most part true. This classical view of painting would be challenged by the prototype of today's modern artist; a group of "renegades" who first took shape in the 60s and 70s, and began a style of expression painting without much of a subject took hold. To the tradionalists at the time this was seen almost as a taboo, but this new style slowly grew in popularity and now no one in the art community would question this form of artisitic expression. Hockney and others like him, who are now also trying a new system for expression, are now also coming under the same scrutiny as thosebefore them. Using technology to create works of art that would otherwise be trapped within the mind of the creator; I see no wrong in this, but traditionalists may see it as another heresy growing with the times.

   Perhaps instead of looking at these new interpretations not like a step toward some emcompassing darkness without the guidance of the ways of old we should look at it like the next step in artistic evolution. Would cavemen have seen the transition from painting on cave walls to painting on paper canvas in the same way? Our world is rapidly becoming more based around the technological aspect of society; from our economy to our military even to our personal lifestyle, should our art be put on the same playing field and not confined to just past interpretations? Perhaps what Hockney is trying to explain in "Shoes" is that it's not just about a pair of shoes next to a wall, but that it's a metaphor for keeping the ways of old right next to the new and see where they can take us when we use both of them together.

  



  

The New Yorker Cover #2

Elements Noticed
-Research shows that this cover was painted using Apple Technology. (Brushes on IPhone or IPad)
-The shoes appear to be of two different designs, one a more modern looking and another that appears to be of an older style.
-The shoes are lying close to a heavy striped wall with a patterned molding.
-The carpeting is spotted with different shades of brown.
Patterns
-Wallpaper (assumed) shows patterns within the confusing lines of color.
-Wall molding has distinctive striped patterned of colors in blue and brown.
-Carpeting shows spotted pattern in various shades of tan, brown, and white.
-Noticable LACK of patterns in the brown and black shoe, except both have black laces.

My Description
   This magazine cover shows two types of shoes sitting side by side next to a wall. One type of shoe pair seems to be of an older design, my guess is from the 1940s or 1950s because of it's padded leather look and out-of-style tan color. The other ones looks like it's a more modern  looking business shoe with back leather and laces. They are resting next to a wall with an unusual pattern painted on it; the colors are in a pattern creating miniature triangles and rectangles within the wall with the blues and blacks overlapping and intertwining each other. The carpet is spotted with a random brown and tan spots covering up a white backround behind them. Upon further research, I discovered that this was painted using "Brushes" app on the "IPad," making a major impact in me. Covers like these are works of art and almost always created using tools and techiques passed down from artists over generations, but knowing that just about anyone can pick up an IPhone now and paint a beautiful cover picture really speaks to me on how the classic image of an artist is dieing out in our world of technology and progress. 

Interpretations of the New Yorker

   Based on the analysis provided in our textbook, the interpretation given in the book and my own analysis share quite a few similarites. Both of our analysis shows that some details given to the models other then Miss New York share quite a few details in common; the large eyes and barbie doll like face complextion, the connection to states with a reputation for a more layback lifestyle, the wide smile, and also the design of the swimsuits. Our analysis for Miss New York also turned up quite a few similarities in both her looks and symbolic meaning; from her white pale skin and dark hair style to her serious demeanor and attitude of being an individual.

   However, the way we interpretate these pros and cons are different to some extent. The textbook gives a feeling that the cover is a statement against traditional American values from history. New York was a major hub for immigrants entering the New World and invading the lands and customs of tradition northern European settlers. From my perspective, this indeed a message to America but not against traditional American values; this is an attack instead on the cookie cutter model for women sometimes associated with southern states. Miss New York stands proud and individualistic against the copy-and-pasted women shown standing at her side, almost a metaphor if you will showing New York's distiction from the rest of the Northeast and in the United States as well.

The New Yorker

Elements Noticed:-The setting appears to be taking place in some type of beauty pageant.
-I'm going to take a guess and say from the style of the other women's looks and swimsuits that this contest is taking place in the 1950s or early 1960s.
-The color appears to be in an older style.
-The women other then Miss New York seem to be of a cookie cutter model. These include blonde hair, large smile, big doll like eyes, etc.
-Miss New York seems alot more serious and alot less friendly then the other models.
-The outfits of the women seem to fit a prepurpose molding unlike Miss New York who dons a black bikini top and sports run way model serious look.

Patterns
-The other states all seem to end with the letter "A." (Major Similarity in Southern States)
-The other models all share a common blank stare with a major smile and blonde hair.
-The other models share a similar outfit. (Nothing to separate them from the others)
-"York" appears twice on the calendar.

My Description
 In this magazine cover, it appears to be of a 1950s beauty pageant. All the states shown appear to have nothing that separates them from the pack; they follow a cookie cutter recipe of tan skin, blonde hair, wide mouth, doll like eyes, and single piece bathing suit. They look like an assembly of life size Barbie Dolls glimmering for attention, like a child trying to pick which doll to play with today. But not all of these models follow the predetermined mold...

 Then we see Miss New York and she is her own individual. She dons black hair, white porcelain skin, eyebrows that streak across her face, a black bikini, and a stare that could cut through steel. For me, it is an excellent representation of New Yorkers. It show the sunshine states all looking so much like the other; a stupid smile on their face and a stepford wives body. Nothing is flashy or represents them as an individual, but Miss New York is her own person with a take no crap personality and no "beating around the bush" mentality. For me, her face just gives off a message like, "Hey, this is New York. If you want to get some serious work and wealth here then come, but don't expect to succeed if you come here with a sunshine state attitude and bobblehead career dreams." 

My Ranking

 I like to describe myself as a guy who is very nature oriented. For me, nothing is better then a day spent wandering in the wilderness by myself; given it's a picture that makes me sound like some kind of grizzly mountain creature, but I'm not a social shut-in who enjoys spending all my time in a remote cave either! I'm quite a sociable person, I just feel that I have always had a strong connection to nature. Therefore, I have taken most of my heuristic photos about the outdoors or having to do with nature in someway.

#6- The Park
 While I absolutely love the spot I took this photo from, I feel that this photo didn't do the beauty of this park justice. Taking it with a cellphone carmera left out that distictive rainbow on the mist, the bird's nest is barely reconizable from the green branches that only partically cover it, and finally the view of the large metal facade takes away from the natural simplistic view of the fountain.

#5- The Window
 In my mind I felt this photo would have more on an impact on me then it did. I had tried to convay the image of a lonely soul trapped in his own prison behind the glass window he stares out of. But now that I look at it again I feel like I missed the point. To me, now it looks like just a hand resting on the window. But I like the sentimental feelings it sturs with in, so I didn't make it dead last. =)

#4- The Morning Star
 As I stated before, I love the simplicity that comes with nature. So even if it may seem like a major hassle, some mornings I like to get up and watch the sun rise. It may be alittle painful at first, but seeing that first glimpse of light as the sun rises is something magical. Obviously this morning I was a tad late getting up and missed the full blown sunrise, but even these early morning rays have a way to bring a smile to my face.

#3- The Tower
 This photo for whatever reason makes me feel strong, like it has some mystical power to make me feel like I can take on the world. The stone exterior just oozes a sense of strength for me, the way this tower can withstand the reckless onslaught of winter and the heat of summer makes me feel like my problems are nothing compared to what this stone has withnessed over the years. It endures anything thrown it way, an opinion I feel can describe myself. It can adapt, it's unmoving, and it endures, like me. 

#2-The Tunnel Hallway
 I'll be honest, I dislike this photo more then anyother in my collection so far. But the message it speaks to me makes me rank it so high. The photo is of a long, empty, narrow tunnel I found under the school dorms. In my opinion, this represents everything I hate; it's so straightforward with no room for freedom of any kind. It's colorless and constricting, with no natural light or any contact with the outside avaliable. It's like a slow march to the inevitable future we all is coming, with a dimly flashing exit sign beckoning us to our predetermined destination.

#1-The Mist
This is my favorite photograph simply because it expresses all my passion for the outdoors. The sun's light just breaking through after an afternoon rainshower. The glass is still wet with the storms leavings, but the fountain continues to pump vapor into the air creating a fog that is just being burned away. Everything is sparkling like minature diamonds and the willow trees seem to be made of crystals as their tiny droplets are burned off as the temperature slowly rises. The grass seems greener, the sky bluer, and everything is quiet, peaceful. Places like this have a natural lulling effect on me, a place to just sit and reflect/meditate on the days events. 
 

My Heuristic Photographs

The Mist

This photo is of a beautiful, misting fountain on a late afternoon. The water is calm and smooth like the surface of a mirror. The sun is able to creep through the branches of the willow tree and shine it's soft rays on the clear water. The clouds are disappearing reveiling the bright blue sky behind them. This represents a sense of calmness for me.

The Park

This photo is of a quiet spot in a park I found not too long ago. The willow trees blow gently in the cool afternoon breeze as the light mist of the fountain wets the tips of your clothes. The gravel path crunches underfoot as the green grass glows slightly with the fresh coating of dew.

The Tower

This is a photo of the bell stepple at Hawkin's Hall. The mighty granite tower streches towards the peaks of the sky, determined to see the last glimpse of sunlight of the day. It's stone facade proudly deflecting the abuse of the elements to come in the cold months ahead. In it's shadow sits a few pieces of art to color the green expance of grass surrounding it's base.

The Morning Star

In this photo the freshly risen sun slowly creeps it's way over the tall buildings it shines down upon. It's glorious rays burning off the morning fog and dew that coats everything it touches. The trees lay motionless and glass on the dining room walls reflect it's glow in the form of colorful rainbows.

The Window

This photo is of a single hand trying deperately to (in my eyes) connect with the outside world. The sun is setting on this lonely soul as he stares with a longing to reach out beyond it's glass imprisonment. The streets maybe empty, but so is it's future alone.

The Tunnel Hall

This is a photo of one of the many underground tunnels that snake under the school dorms. They're long, narrow passageways have a feeling of dread and loneness for me. The walls have a way of seeming to close in around you. They put me on edge, make the hair stand up on my neck, and my teeth clench with anticipation. The sole exit light at the end my only source of comfort knowing that with each step my journey in this pit is almost complete. 

Carl Sandburg's Poetry: A Brief Overview

 Carl Sandburg is often quoted as one of the greatest American poets the world has ever known, sharing a spot of recognition alongside such legends as Mark Twain and Walt Whitman. For a brief overview of his life, Sandburg was born in a small near Chicago in January of 1878 to his Swedish immigrant parents August and Clara Sandburg. He spent most of his childhood working and by the eighth grade dropped out of school completely to work various odd jobs. By 1897, he was officially homeless and began traveling the US.

 It was during this time that Sandburg started his lifelong obsession with poetry; in between working what odd jobs he could find, Sandburg became fascinated by the stories and songs sung by his fellow homeless companions. Sandburg would then practice these at public speaking engagements along with his own poetic creations and found he had a natural talent. Sandburg continued to work odd jobs before finally setting down as a reporter for the Chicago Daily News and marrying his wife Lilian. Finally in 1914, a small group of his poems appeared in "Poetry" magazine and catapulted him into the legendary status he has today.

 Because of Sandburg's long time spend as a vagrant, he grew extremely concerned with the sharp contrast between the rich and poor that he experienced everyday on the road. Much of his poetry is spent dreaming of a way to escape your current situation and look to a better tomorrow, as shown in two of his more well known poems "In a Breath" and "The Bath." In "In a Breath", it is shown as hot day in a busy city. People are so uncomfortable that they seek solace in a local theater to escape their current surrounds. Inside they are shown pictures and clips of a tropical paradise with cooling waters and beautiful beaches, a image Sandburg most likely held onto when his own situation was uncomfortable. 

 In "The Bath", the poem is basically about a very depressed man despising the world around him. The poor soul sees life only as a cruel existent before the silence of death, a view perhaps Sandburg shared at times during his travels when all seemed lost. But then the man goes to a local concert and experiences the wonderful musical performances of a Jewish fiddler player; the music is able to break down the harden walls of misery clouding his judgment and he leaves the theater a changed man seeing the beauty in what he previously thought was a joke before death. Sandburg most likely felt the same way about the musical he experienced in his travels by fellow vagrants likely getting his inspiration by the folk songs sung probably daily. These folk songs were meant to tell of hope or a reward for the toils of the lowly, a message that would be deeply appealing to Sandburg being a homeless drifter and trying to survive day by day.    

 Carl Sandburg is without a doubt one of the most famous American poets of not only the early 20th century, but also out of American Literature history. Without the trying experiences he endured as a vagrant and drifter traveling the US, Sandburg would have probably never given us such great works of literature as "The Bath", "In a Breath", or any of his other fantastic writings; making the world a little darker without his uplifting stories of perseverance.   

Carl Sandburg's Poetry

"In a Breath" Sandburg appears to have set this poem on a hot summer day in a early 1900s city. Sandburg shows this by claiming to hear the hoofs of horses along with the humming of motors outside. As it is so hot out, many of the passers-by feel the need to cool off in what is assummed to be a theater.

 The theater is shows pictures and movies of cool, tropical places and the natural wonders experienced there. ( The fish, coral reefs, cool breeze, etc.) He pays particular attention to the movie playing of a group of fisherman wrestling a shark barehanded. He streeses how dangerous this type of fishing is by how the shark could easily kill the diver with a stroke of his tail; along with describing how deadly the sharks teeth are as he is taken in by the divers brothers.

 With the end of the poem comes the back track to reality that this is a world far away from the city the viewers are currently in. The poem fades out with the reenforcement of how hot the city is as the women are wearing such light clothing.

"The Bath"
 Sandburg has apparently made this poem at first about a deeply depressed man's view at the world. He despises his lot in life, claiming over and over again how nothing is true and life is nothing more then a long walk to death and silence. A horrible interuptation of life, but this all changes after the man goes to a concert on night.

 The medicine of beautiful music breaks down his misconceptions on life as he knows it. The music washes over him in waves of happiness and bliss. The sounds of Mischa Elman's fiddle rebuilt his shattered misconceptions of the world and left him so hungered for more he stuck around for 5 encores. When he left the concert physically he may have been the same person, but mentally he had a new outlook on the world. Where he sung with a fevered pitch and roses seemed to bloom in everything.

Why does it matter?
 In each of Carl Sandburg's poems, Carl gives the impression that each of these poems begin with a situation of uncomfortableness. One with a man with a depressingly pesimistic view of the world; where there is no good in the world anymore only the silence of death at the end of our existance. The other is a broader view of a neighborhood in the grip of a hot summer day, with many people flocking to find relief from the sun's rays.

 Each poem continues and soon both find a way to escape their respected unfortunate situation. In "In a Breath", the people of the city go into a theater to escape the heat and dream of a far away tropical paradise. A place with cooling beaches, blue waters, and natives living life as they have known it for centuries; truly a peaceful place to just relax. In "The Bath", it is through the music of a fiddle player that the depressed gentlemen can see the beauty of the life; at first he thought the world was so filled with despair and hopelessness that he never stopped to appreciate the beauty of the arts.

 It is in my opinion, these two poems are a way for us the reader to remind ourselves that the world as we see it is only a small sliver of whats out there to experience. The way we can see ourselves in society is like a drop of water in an olympic swimming pool, it's too huge to completely comprehend. So if we feel down or uncomfortable one day, cheer up cause it's only for alittle while.  

Brooklyn Heights

The author constantly brings up references about drugs, alcohol, and the loss of his childhood. Constantly saying "look at how far I've come" might be a reference as to how his life has not gone as he planned, along with the repetition of words with violent meanings behind them.  (Breaking, burning)

He also brings up that his friends also might have regretted the life they live now as he references them drinking and breaking bottles for fun. The poem constantly tells us how alcohol and drugs are everywhere when he describes his neighborhood.

The final thing I noticed the author repeat was what I felt was a tone of sadness over the situation of the blonde little girl in the poem. It seems like she is having fun now, but he hints that her future in Brooklyn will take her down the same wrong path he is on.