ZooBurst

Lancaster Walk

Lancaster is considered one of the most important streets in the United States. It was the first official highway built in our country. I am lucky enough to open my door each morning on this very street. The diagonal pathway provides an easy transportation from Market and J.F. Kennedy Highway all the way to Lancaster. Back when it was first built, it was very critical for merchants, farmers, and families to exchange produce and goods. Today lancaster is much different. A very short part, which is located in west Philadelphia, once the most vital section, is now vacant, quiet, and becoming invisible. From Market till 38th Street it is mostly populated by Drexel University students, where at the 38th street mark the residents abruptly change to African American families. Historical buildings still stand, but are not taken care of. Many of them are covered and camouflaged by new construction, painted bright random colors, are shut off and are decaying. In my neighborhood narratives class we had a chance to get a guided tour of lancaster from 43rd street and below. It was amazing to see how many buildings are shut off in fear of someone breaking in the owner's store on the first floor. Another interesting fact is the nickname of the street. "The Black Bottom" is only one section, primarily 42nd street, of "The Bottom". Many gang fights would take place in the 60s and 70s resulting in a rapid increase in crack use. This particular intersection is a historic part of Lancaster. Being that Martin Luther King spoke at that exact spot. Revolutionary energy and spirits lived and grew on this street. It is an avenue that brings many memories for these residents. The street separates a Caucasian population from an African American population. Further west is occupied by African Americans, and north, towards Market St. is primarily white. The neighborhood is rapidly changing, organizations are funding for the renewal of store fronts, streets, sidewalk, and aesthetic elements for the neighborhood. The question is, will this push away the dominant African American population out of the neighborhood in cause of driving more white college students towards their way? The key is to find a balance of maintaining a neighborhood feel that has existed for decades, and renewing it at the same time. 

Genealogy Of Site Specificity

This reading exposes a new way for artists to consider art in an institutional setting such as museums and galleries. It is true that artists today are confined to a certain space and feeling of hierarchy when it comes to displaying what they have to offer. An artist is only as worthy as his art, and if his art is put on a shelf so is the artist. Art can no longer just be. It's presence cannot influence the ordinary person and cannot be seen by the majority. Only those who chose to go to the institutional setting can gain some insight of the political expression that rises through art. Personally I believe that public art is a very important thing in a society. Why not display our creative selves for everyone to see? Why not enhance an ordinary walk to work through artistic expression? We are all artists that are made to believe that our skills or input are not necessary unless worthy of a gallery or museum space.

Two works that stuck with me would be Daniel Buren's Within and Beyond the Frame, 1973, and Maria Laderman Ukeles's Harlford Wash: Washing Tracks, Maintenance Inside. These two pieces express the concept of site-specific art to the fullest. The fact that the flags go beyond the museum walls not only creates an unknowing for the minority viewer that is culturing themselves, but gives an empowerment for the ordinary "stranger" that has not been exposed to an artistic lifestyle. They can see the art from the outside. It is as if the museum itself is spilling out its beauty for the world to see. It is very clever and well executed. Secondly, Ukeles's project opens up new doors of thinking. When at a museum or gallery, viewers barely think of how different the space would be if it wasn't maintained to its full potential. What if trash or dirt surrounded the walls upon which the art is displayed. Evidently, the viewer would not feel so special or intellectual from a street pedestrian. Art is meant to be viewed as paint on a canvas or sculpture of its surroundings. It is not necessarily right for them to be caged between white walls. Ukele's artwork exposes the work that has to be done to maintain this kind of hierarchal position of the way we portray art. In reality it seems unnecessary and useless.

Critical Vehicles - Krzysztof Wodizcko

It is necessary to shed a light on the issues discussed in this text. The dense information provided has evoked a new way of thinking for potential artists or community developing entrepreneurs. To avoid future catastrophes we first have to fight the present destructiveness of our society. Without clearing out our path we will face major problems for our generations to come. Using art as one form of medium to recover our contemporary issues is a light hearted and uplifting approach to any damaged and scared community. It is true that many people live and breath in the same area as we do, yet feel strange, alone and alienated from quality life, a feeling of belonging and a sense of security. Why is it that we have these life components yet others are struggling to even find them? It is because no one has let them, no one has said its ok. It is theirs as well.

            The reading made a great impression on me, being that I a am an immigrant myself. Back in middle school I wish there was such a thing as an alien staff, or technological equipment for me to analyze, put together and express my self through. But there wasn’t. My thoughts, my feelings and opinions were kept to myself, being that when exposed, seemed strange, unwanted and not comprehendible by those around me. If I could show my environment where I had come from and where I was going, maybe then they would respect and integrated my into their lives, in belief that I had something important and beautiful to offer.

            Interrogative Design provides a beautiful bridge to expose the wound while healing it. An audience does not realize their own selves until they see themselves exposed and liberated by their own thoughts and experiences. The exposure that art can create should be overlooked. A reason to stumble along your path and realize who you are, your own strangeness, your place in the now and in the future not only will create a better life for yourself, but will influence generations of communities to come. The art has to be honest, relatable and personal to it’s audience. It shouldn’t be demanding nor offensive, it should be for the viewer than against. Creating a good environment and positive thinking in a certain area, eventually grows, expands and influences all around it. Hearing the lost voices, the invisible people, creates a caring environment that will also manifest. This reading not only can be enlightening to artists or creative minds, but to psychologists, politicians, parents, and residents as well

Following

... Means Black Removal

I am greatly discomforted by this article. It saddens me to see authoritative powers control people’s lives and future without any way to stop them. The commonwealth project not only brought destruction to people’s everyday happiness but also has created a lonely, alienated space for its inhabitants today. After reading this, it all makes sense. When first coming to America in 2000 from my home country Greece, I was extremely shocked by the long distances and seclusion that Americans live in. There is no interaction with your next-door neighbor, no “knitted” communities to help one another out. This environment has a great psychological defect to anyone that lives in it. It promotes loneliness, depression, use of drugs, and an unhealthy way of communication and human interaction. America has always focused on money or the true wealth of a happy life? Is it the greatness of simple pleasures, or the greatness of showing off? Is it the progress towards a better life, or towards an unwanted future? Taxpayers are sadly blind to this because it is kept from them. People should be exposed to this information more than they have, and truly understand why their neighborhoods are designed the way they are.  Why do highways, huge malls and parking lots, constantly surround us? Why can’t we walk anywhere? Because it was once there, but taken away.

            The fact of the matter is, the Common wealth plan destructed Kimball and wiped out Gainsboro. Important landmarks were demolished; neighborhoods and families were completely destroyed. The African American race has always been an object and never taken seriously. The white man has always decided who they were, where they lived, how they behaved and what they did. I personally, thought this was abolished with slavery, apparently not. How dare the government still intervene? These people have an apparent identity crisis because the white man created it three hundred years ago. They should be free to hold on to what is there’s, what they have created to call home. These buildings and landmarks might seem to us as simple communities. Yet we fail to understand that these communities are their culture. This is their birthplace. They are African Americans, and they are thirsty for a place to call home, for a history to call theirs. These segregation plans do nothing but make matters worse. They do not accomplish happiness, only anger. How are we every going to live harmoniously when we tare away all the good that we want to hold on too? I am truly fearful for the changes that will come. I am fearful for the African American race. What comes around goes around, and our system has pushed the limits. Lets hope we become more aware, and speak up for the sake of all. 

Urban Renewal

It is eye opening to be informed of such material that is evident in everyday life, yet most of us never stop and think why it exists or how it came to be. Personally, I never understood why projects are developed and why they are located in those certain areas. Most of the time they are randomly placed in small sections near colleges, urban cities, or middle to high-class areas. They are there to provide housing for African Americans while containing them in a certain area, controlling their income and housing expansion. It is very interesting to learn about the repelling dynamic of high and low income citizens and how government involvement takes a biased side towards the high-income citizens with no consideration of the consequences following the ignorance of equal rights for all. After reading about both sides of the situation, I felt as though there is no solution real solution to the problem at this time. Only as communities evolve over the years, leveling out different their races, cultural backgrounds, and income levels, will individuals be ok with living in the same environment. Otherwise, there are two many complications such as ways of living, cultural habits, and preferences that interfere with a low and high income or interracial collaborated neighborhood. I state this while indirectly referring to several examples of conflicted countries such as Israel and Palestine, and Albania and Serbia, when dealing with Kosovo. As the article stated, even though the housing at Hill District was old and distressed, it created a very comforting and familiar community to its inhabitants. For them, their life, their families, it did not matter to have crisp new buildings, filled with merchants, banks and retailers. It mattered that their community surrounded them, their way of being. Yes, maybe they would prefer nicer housing, but the government never really asked them what they wanted. It was never taken in consideration what a comforting community and a happy group of citizens really could reward the city with. A stable future, a growing community towards better, a low crime and drug rate and a better atmosphere overall.