A large part in understanding our republic's history will come from our analysis of imagery. Take a moment to look over the image attached to the lesson that depicts our society in the late 20th century and respond to this question:
Do Now: Based on this painting, what are the inferences that we can make about American society and culture? What appear to be the values of the society being depicted in the image? Use what we see in the image to support your points.
As we did on Monday, we are required to comment once and then we reply to two others.
The picture shows a brightly lit city busting with life—people are talking, walking, working, commuting. The sky is dark, but the city is bright. The buildings surrounding the city have most of their lights on, further emphasizing the idea that America is always alive with action. Construction workers are assembling yet another flashy advertisement to the front of a skyscraper. A news reporter films the city while dangling from a moving helicopter. Tourists packed onto buses ogle the bright lights and point at different billboards and advertisements. We can infer that American culture values time. People in America are always doing something, no matter the time. People have places to go, things to do. The world doesn’t stop for you. American society is busy. The artist saw America as the place that never sleeps.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point that America is always awake and moving, and I actually hadn't thought of that when viewing the picture myself. That just goes to show how different people can view the same thing completely differently, which I find really interesting.
DeleteI agree with this response because it just shows America's a bustling and popular place. Tourists come here to see landmarks, but American citizens need to work, and it just makes America a more modern and busy place, no time for rest on the roads.
DeleteI agree with what you said, your descriptions were really detailed and perfectly make your point, particularly your mention of the lighting differences, which I didn't even notice.
Deletewhile I agree that it shows the city is bright, you seemed to have a positive tone while talking about it. I think that the fact that all this light comes from ads is really important and kind of dystopian.
DeleteThis painting depicts a flashy, bright, and bustling society. We see massive billboards advertising late night shows, soft drinks, and movies. Hundreds of cars pack the roads, lined up wheel to wheel in their attempt to go where they need to go. No building is short, and no people stand out. This painting depicts a society overrun by corporations and advertising. There is more building facade with a product displayed than without one. These corporate displays are held high in the air, serving as beacons of light for anyone in the area. In this paining, humans are almost shown as ants, scurrying around in the bottom of the frame, packed closely together. Now, corporate influence is not necessarily a bad thing, but American society is neither subtle nor unwilling with their embrace of consumption. This painting allows us to infer that these bright lights and eye catching advertisements are the focal point of our society. The upper two thirds of the frame are consumed by products and massive, monolithic buildings. One can infer that the value of advertising space is paramount in our culture. Again, it's not necessarily a bad thing. These products are all hugely beneficial to society and culture, but it is irrefutable that they are oversaturated. The artist is depicting an America oversaturated with advertisements and lacking in human presence. The perspective and proportions of the painting say it all.
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly agree with your point about how consumer culture and advertisements dominate the streets, which is one of the inferences I put in my response to the Do Now. I would argue that this painting is not the best representative of American culture however, as the concentrated population that corporations can market to in New York City may inspire them to go overboard with their marketing, making it seem more prevalent than it actually is.
DeleteThat's a good point. Outside of major population centers the prevalence of advertising is less noticeable.
DeleteWhat this picture depicts is modern America, with so much traffic, and so many tourists. It is a picture depicting a bustling city with advertisements all around, stores and shops open with their lights reflecting all around. What I can infer is that in our modern society, advertisements are key but also are so much in our lives that it is way more than what we expect. There is probably more vehicles and advertisements than actual people themselves. One could say it is oversaturated with advertisements, etc.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point about how central advertisements are, and also about how they are more intertwined with our lives than we expect. If you visualize Times Square, you see billboards and video screens. Without it, Times Square would just be a few wonkily shaped city blocks. The ads are central to our perception of the location.
DeleteI get where you are coming from, but this painting does not represent the entirety of our country. This image is biased to what the painter saw in the country. There are still many sides to America which are not included in this illustration.
DeleteI completely agree with you. Also, not only is there more material things in the image, but the few people in it are completely lost to them and blend together. I think it is trying to show how the people in this society base their identities around possessions and not their actual traits as individuals.
DeleteBased on this picture, there are several inferences that can be made about current American culture and society as a whole. One of these inferences is that American culture is very commercially driven, which is exemplified by all the advertisements placed on the walls of the buildings. This means that large companies and businesses are a key component of how our society functions. Another inference one could make is that America is a very technologically advanced society, which is shown through all the cars on the road and all the lights in the buildings as well as the signs. The values of this society could be inferred to be that there's always somewhere for you to be, and that you have to become a public figure if you want to be on top. The densely packed cars and busses show the need to get somewhere, and the massive billboards with advertisements shown on them show the importance of capitalism.
ReplyDeleteYeah, the advertisings are drawn in such a way that they seem to be towering over everything and take the focus off the people showing how these companies rule in this world. Everything else in the image is lost to these ads as they are everywhere and bright catching your eyes, making it hard to notice much else.
DeleteI agree with this! the use of advanced technology, stardom and intense consumption is very clear in this painting.
DeleteI agree. The artist really emphasized how the US revolves around consumerism.
DeleteBillboards and ads on the buildings show a booming economy. Various imagery of music and entertainment and just the overall brightness of the image makes it seem like everything is going well and shows a perfect, blooming society. The helicopters, parachute, and whiskey ad give the sense of freedom in the “this is America, it’s a free country I can do what I want” kind of way. The image is very colorful and busy, and feels alive and young, seeming to represent how the US itself was at the time.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree. The painting shows a very materialistic side of America even though it is not accurate.
DeleteThis is a really interesting perspective. I did not see how the painting illustrates the positives of the U.S. Depending on the viewer this could definitely show an ideal society.
DeleteThis is an interesting point of view. The billboards seemingly represent color and excitement, but i believe it is a corporate strategy to attract customers.
Delete-Langston
I agree! At first, the bright lights and ads seem fascinating, which parallels the appeal of the country and its freedoms that it guarantees. However, you have to study it a bit more and really read between the lines to see that not everything here is so perfect and happy and utopian.
DeleteYeah, what I more meant to say (but didnt) was that this picture represents how the US was (and still is); gilded. On the surface it seems like a strong, successful nation, but if you take a closer look you will see all the major flaws in it (like the major corporations and the loss of your identity to mindless materialism).
DeleteThe painting shows bright lights and lots of advertisements and everything is very flashy and it shows that to the american people we run by corporations and business and we citizens value them.Also shows how lively the American people are. The bright lights shown in the picture demonstrate how to we take time to notice the ads and how we appreciate them. The bright lights and all the cars and the flare of the big advertisements on the buildings show how lively the American people are and how even during the night you see so many people, lights are still on all over and people being so lively despite whatever time of day. The painting depicts how the American people value the corporations and businesses that run the country and how lively the American people are.
ReplyDeleteI don't completely see your point about how people value these corporations. Do you mind elaborating? It seems to me that these advertisements are there, whether people like them or not, and there's not much the average person can do about it, which I think is shown in the painting. Pedestrians and road traffic are very small and towards the bottom of the frame and the ads are big and prominent.
DeleteI see them as we keep the advertisements their because if you support a business it gets larger and larger and it expands and therefore it advertises their product more to further expand and it would be harder for smaller business to get to these larger buildings. I see it as an average person may seem smaller but in the painting you also lots of stores where a citizen can go and buy something and support a larger company which can show our values since we continuously help these corporations expand.
DeleteBased on the painting, America seems like a lively city. The painting includes multiple advertisements displayed on billboards revealing the materialistic side of the country. The traffic on the road indicates how busy the city is and the lights turned on in the apartment show how people are still active during this time of night. The painting brings out how this country thrives on the entertainment industry. Though this is true, this is not an accurate description of America. There are many sides of the USA that are not shown in this illustration.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your points and where America has lots of sides, I am sure the painter thought the most important veiw point was the one he depicted.
DeleteThis painting displays a busy night in a highly populated city. Bright, saturated advertisements take up large portions of the painting. They display not only products (drinks, shoes) but musicals and TV. This implies that America values consumption of physical things and constant entertainment. The ads themselves take up more space than the humans that view them which hints to how people buying and viewing things is more important than the people themselves. Tall looming buildings are filled with lit up tiny windows implying a crowded city that stays up late. Cars rush through the streets as tiny people hurry down the blocks. The whole image seems to be in motion showing how busy the city is. There are a million little stories being told in this image. Ads are being hung up, tour busses and taxi cabs are rushing by, a man is even swinging from a helicopter! This painting feels like the over whelming rush of arriving in a big city for the first time, being assaulted with the demands to consume and work.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree when you say that this shows America values products and consumption. It may seem like a colorful paradise at first, but in reality they want you to buy their product.
Delete-Langston
I agree with the idea that you bring up that it can be overwhelming for someone who's visiting for the first time or for someone who hasn't been to a city for a long time.
DeleteI agree with everything you said. This painting totally conveys the overwhelming "what is happening" rush that happens when in a big city for the first time. Whether it's the bright lights or all the cars and ads, it definitely feels quite overwhelming, like when you first come to a big city.
DeleteFrom the picture you can infer that The country is always busy as there is so much going on in the picture. In the picture there is advertisements all over the street which can mean that there's a lot of things to do that can attract tourist and other people who might want to live there. There is also someone parachuting around the city as well as there are helicopters around. Adding on, I made the inference on the amount of traffic that there is on the street and the large buildings where people probably live in. These details depict America as a society that is constantly moving and where time is just always going so fast just by the fact that there are so many activities to do that you don't even know where to start.
ReplyDeleteI agree! His picture does show the endless activities for Americans to do and the way Americans are depicted as busy people and constantly moving.
DeleteI agree, these advertisements can do quite a lot, they could not just be advertising products for money, even though that's their main purpose, but they have a potential to bring people to work there, and add to this bustling city.
DeleteThis picture can definitely speak more than even an essay can. One may see this as a tribute to the excitement and bustling fast paced action of Time's Square, but I rather see it as a critique of capitalism and how companies have made advertisements appealing to the public eye. Behind each sign lies a company with the sole goal of roping you in, luring you to their product. Their colorful, seemingly delightful billboard attracts you, applying a false sense of interest and excitement, thus causing you to remember or unconciously take not of the sign they deceitfully constructed. This painting tells the tale of capitalism in New York, but if not looked carefully at, it tells the tale of another exciting tourist destination.
ReplyDelete-Langston
I completely agree with your answer the image can be seen as a beautiful representation of the city but just like you mentioned it can also be seen as a sense of capitalism that is taking place in the city and open the idea that it's not just all that the advertisements are there to make the city more bright but that they're doing it to get your attention but not so much as for you to think.
DeleteThis painting conveys a ton about this particular American society. Firstly, the viewer of the painting can clearly see that this a very bustling area. There are cars and people everywhere, and they all seem to be going somewhere. Everyone is moving. This conveys to the viewer that everyone in this society has something to do, and nobody is bored or gets to lay back. Secondly, all the advertisements tell the viewer about what life is like. Everyone is constantly consuming ads and capitalism is a an enormous part of how society is run.
ReplyDeleteI agree that everyone has something to do, it's to continue being successful since everyone has to compete for it. Which is also related with the ads since it also grows the business it's advertising.
DeleteThis painting displays a really busy city where even in the night, it's still lit up bright, and really showing how our country is really growing. Advertisements are shown here, trying to convince the public to appeal to the companies. It is just trying to get money for the companies, and maybe at least distribute products to the people, but these aren't really for the people, but the companies will just want money, since competing against the US market is not an easy job. To anyone from New York, they would just say that this place is a big landmark and has a bunch of billboards and screens. However, it's really just showing how much companies would really do to maximize profit, by buying these huge billboards and screens to project advertisements. I also notice how the cars are facing the direction away from the screens, so maybe they're not interested, or showing that these people really don't seem to care too much about Times Square.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the company part, in order to be successful in America you have to compete with others to do so. That means even having advertisements at night to continue to grow your business, as they show in the picture.
DeleteI think that the point of the cars not being interested is intriguing, but perhaps another reason could be not only are they not interested in the ads, but they're so used to the hustle and bustle of the city, as many of us are more accustomed to NYC than people who are just visiting as tourists.
DeleteBased on the image I can tell that American society is very lively and busy. There's a bunch of colorful ads at night, and we can see several cars on the road as well. There's also helicopters and a band marching. We can also see several tall buildings. From this I can tell that America, more specifically New York is a very business oriented place, it has ads in order to promote businesses since it's a way to be successful in America. Even when it's night there's still work to do. People want to be successful, therefore they continue to do stuff at night, some of the cars may be going to work or coming from work, there's lights on buildings which could mean businesses are still working. Al of this can make New York busy, and lively, there's always something to do.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point and observations of New York city being a very busy and lively place even when it's night. Also your point about people wanting to be successful and working throughout the night
DeleteI agree. What I thought was that the busyiness was mental too, that our society has too much going on
DeleteYour response reminds me of "the city that never sleeps!" I love how you describe New York, and you're spot on about it being a business oriented society!
DeleteThis painting depicts a bustling, busy, and action and activity packed society. In it we can see a person climbing up the side of a building, and another hanging from a rope attached to a helicopter, as well as a person skydiving in the background. These alone show the US as an almost absurdly adventurous and exciting society. But, when paired with slightly more typical scenes of busy streets and sidewalks you can tell that this place is certainly never lacking in activity. You can also tell that the artist saw this society as one centered on capitalism and business due to the excess of adds selling various goods and services. All of which paired together depicts this society as colorful, adventurous, engrossing and distracting.
ReplyDeleteI like the multiple points you have and I agree with what you said about New York's society being multiple things brought together
DeleteWhen first looking at the painting, what I noticed immediately were the bright lights and how alive and busy the city looked at night and how grand everything looked. I also noticed the huge billboards and the perceptive as we look down onto the traffic and onto the people but the billboards are leveled in our p.o.v. From this I can infer that the American society places more value on its corporations and advertisements rather than its people. I can point to the advertisements of "Gislos" where the workers are placing another ad on top of it but you really have to look for the workers rather than the advertisement (though billboards are larger than people). And as a whole, America is a huge advertisement. Advertisements are meant to capture your attention immediately, especially when on a billboard with bright lights surrounding it. But the people are mostly invisible. The people are the base but we usually only really see the grandness. The norm of American society is being surrounded by ads.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree! There are so many ads everywhere and people get lost in that for sure. I bring up the question in mine whether we have lost the true plot of life. Maybe i'm getting too physophical...
DeleteAt first look, the painting is just of Times Square, a bustling tourist attraction in manhattan. When looking at this to find a deeper meaning, however, you see how this shows our society. The painting is loud and busy and bright, and it is also very commercial. Everywhere, there are ads for things to watch, for things to buy, for places to go. Everything is extra bright, extra big and extra colorful. This, I believe, is a reflection of American society. Everything in society has to be more more more. Bigger, better, more bright. Have we lost the true meaning of things? Maybe. (also sorry this is late i messed up my schedule and confused two of my classes)
ReplyDeleteI agree. it seems as though everything in the painting, including the people, all have the same goal of up keeping the of supporting the corporations depicted above them. It lacks life and meaning.
DeleteI agree how it seems as though the city is made to be a tourist attraction
DeleteThe artist clearly shows that the values of the US revolve around corporations and consumerism. The main focus of the painting is the bright lights and advertisements, indicating that the "norm" in American culture is the buying and selling of products including entertainment. The painting lacks peace - all of the small people and cars seem in someway related to the advertisements above them. The people, billboards, and buildings all radiate the same busy and restless energy, which the artist is using to convey that our society is obsessed with holding up the values of consumer capitalism.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with the capitalism, its what occurred to me too!
DeleteI agree with the statement "that our society is obsessed with holding up the values of consumer capitalism".
DeleteI really like the sentence “ the values of the US revolve around corporations and consumerism.” This is completely accurate—the place depicted in the picture is Times Square, a place known for all of its popular stores and attractions. Because the streets of Times Square are lined with different attractions, people from around the world pay money to experience them.
DeleteThis is a strong representation of the American Dream. It is a bustling city, filled to the brim with excitement and opportunity. The advertisements suggest a competitive economy, but they also express individuality, and freedom of expression. In a city so loud and flamboyant, why wouldn't you be yourself? This picture is America in an image. Perhaps the author was commenting on capitalism, perhaps it was commenting on the freedom that has been our countries foundation for so many years.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your idea that the painting is based on capitalism and the American Dream, I had a similar idea but you said it exactly.
DeleteI really like your interpretation of Times Square. In many ways, it is the view of America that many people around the world share. America is a very individualistic society and people are encouraged to be different and be themselves. Times Square encourages individuality by offering unique experiences to everyone.
DeleteBased on this painting, I can infer that American culture is very based on big cities, with lots of people, and products. The city is very bright and lit up, even though it is night, and the streets are filled with cars and pedestrians. The buildings are plastered in various advertisements, and the people there are just used to it. It is an aspect of life that is normalized in America,
ReplyDeleteI agree, this city seems to revolve around capitalism.
DeleteI agree, the painting clearly shows that this kind of environment is very normal and nothing seems to be out of the ordinary because everyone is just too familiar with this sight.
DeleteI agree, the bright lights and advertisements seem almost normal for the people living in this world. They all seem relatively comfortable as if nothing is out of the ordinary.
Deletewe can make a lot of inferences about the society in the picture. for one thing, it is very flashy and bright, both the picture and the society. we can infer that they are very money motivated, as every billboard and screen is showing an advertisement. the society appears to have very capitalist values, and it seems kind of dystopian, that just walking around a city ads will pop up. it shows that consumerism is a rampant part of their culture, and that everything needs to be bright, flashy and Neon to attract any attention.
ReplyDeletethis society seems complacent with the pervasiveness of ads in their life.
DeleteI agree, it seems as if they care more about the people their company doing well than the lives of the people who are affected by having their homes in this area.
DeleteI definitely agree with you point about how consumerism seems to be a rampant part of this society, and how it makes this look dystopian and unreal.
DeleteThe painting shows a wide variety of things. The streets look like a mess with all the vehicles and people spread all over. The bright lights coming from the many buildings and billboards light up the city. Without even knowing what the sounds of a city may be like, this painting screams "loud". There are tons of advertisements all around and it does not seem unusual in America because everyone is familiar with what is in the painting.
ReplyDeleteI very much agree that the painting is visually loud, and the fact that the lights draw your attention is only added to when you see the sky. It's night in the city, and yet with all that's going on, with even some person parachuting in the top left of the picture, you would never be able to tell if it was night or day without the sky being shown.
DeleteAlthough there is a lot going on in the paintings, there are a few things that can be seen. The civilization looks quite complicated and almost messy. There are many bright, obnoxious lights and advertisements that make your world seem more like a television screen rather than the street you are walking down. Although this painting is quite unpleasant to imagine in the head, we all know that this is the reality.
ReplyDeleteThe picture has a lot of things going on, and it is very visually loud, which I think is actually quite an accurate representation of NYC. There are advertisements anywhere they can fit, and also there are construction workers on that building in the middle, putting up a new ad. Those are two norms, at least for me, because there are advertisements on everything, even buses and taxis, and (Although I might be biased because my street is undergoing a construction project right now) I can never seem to go anywhere in the city without seeing something being worked on, whether it be to build it, remove it, or fix it. The city is bustling with life, even in the dimming light, but I find it interesting that personally, I didn't even notice it was night because of the sheer visual noise of the city.
ReplyDelete