7 Days in NYC: Exploring Contemporary Landscapes
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Becky Walton

5/21/2014

5 Comments

 

I know for this final assignment we should really tie into the “public art in the landscape” theme, but I have always been fascinated with how and why people come to rest, and I believe outdoor furnishings are absolutely a form of public art.  They are about comfortable seating certainly, but furnishings should also be about aesthetics and atmosphere, accenting the space they occupy and encouraging social interaction in their arrangement rather than just being a rubber-stamp standard of seating.  I was especially intrigued by the things Thomas Balsley said about the chairs slightly facing each other or pivoting to encourage social interaction. Sometimes people will stop to rest regardless of available seating like we did at Gowanus cookout or at Bennett Field.

I just finished my honors thesis on sustainable landscape furnishings.  Coincidentally, or maybe not, the honors course was called “Public Art & Sustainability.”  As I mentioned in Friday’s blog, we had to do a site analysis on a campus location, then we created a piece of furniture out of recycled materials, placed it in the space and observed people’s reaction and interaction with the space.  The red chair made out of household gutter downspouts and reused plywood slats attracted much attention and brought awareness to people about sustainability as well as revitalizing unused urban space.

The project was subsequently admitted to the Boston Public Space Invitational competition, and my partner and I have been invited to Boston to the reveal ceremony for the winners on June 4th.  Regardless of the outcome, we are very excited to be invited and have our work displayed for the mayor!

This entire past year’s experience has led me to a unique interest in both vacant urban space as well as public landscape seating.  So much so that I may find a concentration in specifically designing landscape furnishings on a site-by-site basis, tailoring the seating to the needs of the urban space.  My final blog is our entire trip in a short 90-second clip of all the various ways and places people stop to rest in urban spaces, set to the music of Mario Lucian Andreano called “Sitting On A Cloud.”

ENJOY!

5 Comments
kate
5/22/2014 03:15:27 am

your focus is really interesting, and sheds light on how seating affects the experience of space. it is so important to feel comfortable and at ease! good job!

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Vartan
5/22/2014 06:05:40 am

I really liked your video, the song choice was perfect. The video seemed super peaceful and easy to watch. I liked your use of imovie. Also those red chairs are a really nice touch to add to the theme your going for. Pretty Cool.

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Pam
5/22/2014 10:44:33 am

Seating has been something that I've been much more aware of recently, and this trip has only magnified that. It might be the only thing in a space that people physically interact with. I love how this video shows the variety! Pretty cool to see that 'seating' doesn't always equal a bench.

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Pam
5/22/2014 10:45:39 am

... forgot to mention... congrats on your project!! Have fun in Boston!

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mh
5/23/2014 07:52:06 am

Good thematic focus- this is a great idea, and shows the range of seating opportunities in the city. The "dynamic" aspect of the editing threatens to take attention away from the primary focus, which is an exploration of the ways people are seated. Some of the images are filled with sitting people, then we see empty seats as well.

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    Sunday 5.18

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