For this transect, I took a photo every 10 feet or so for several blocks moving south along the Hudson River waterfront in Manhattan, much of which was under construction. I used this transect because of the changes in the character of spaces along the river changes several times throughout. Additionally, the World Trade Center tower serves as a reference point as we moved gradually closer towards it. The waterfront is a highly trafficked area with both walking and biking lanes, and is clearly a popular exercise route for New Yorkers. It is mainly hardscape, with planted areas sprinkled in, and an assortment of cafes and riverside bars for people to enjoy. Although it was not my favorite site of the day, and much of it is still incomplete and impeded by construction sites, I think that the transition from north to south makes for an interesting section on the waterfront.
It might be over the top, but I feel the idea of going through a space in transect is profound. Throughout the year, it has hugely impacted the way I think about and experience a place. Often a photograph seeks to capture a single image that focuses on an outstanding feature or engulfs many elements of a site. Transect photos are interesting because they typically have no focus. Their purpose is almost mathematical; it is to document a surrounding. Additionally, transects are a collection of photos, rather than a single one. As a result several “lackluster” photos come together to create something that is pretty cool.
I chose Governors Island because I knew the design was all about taking a person through a transitional experience. The pictures begin where West 8 completely takes over in the design of the island but looking back I think it would have been ideal to have documented the experience from the dock on Manhattan all the way to the summit of the mount to document the true transition. I thought a transect like this might have value in a firm to show the transition of the park. Landscape designs often require phasing and Governors Island is at an interesting point right now, where it is usable and enjoyable but still has some work to be done. This series of photos was taken at about one photo per second during approach and docking on the ferry from Governor's Island to Manhattan, an a bit of the disembark. Due to the speed alteration during approach and the process of docking, the early photos showed more ferry movement, which then slowed, stopped, and the movement restarted as we started walking off the ferry. The processes along this transect were not linear, nor spatially even, but the chronological process was metered. I think it is worth noting that different processes can occur on a site which have variances in their speed, and so therefore will have different times of progression, during the same task.
Governors Island |