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.
This painting shows how much of America was created by individual people and organizations. No one group made what is in this picture, and none of the parties involved specifically tried to create a beautiful image beyond what would benefit themselves. Each add, building, car, and helicopter were all created by different people doing what they need to to get by, but the end result is a lot more than just that.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you thought about the cars, billboards, etc. as each having been built by someone else to exhibit your idea that this painting is trying to convey a sense of diffrences. I agree with your statement as well.
DeleteCan't agree more. Without the small contributions from every day people to our society as a whole, our country wouldn't be where it is today.
DeleteI agree. Just looking at everyone else's comments and seeing how our own interpretations create an collectively interesting dialogue supports this point so well.
DeleteI agree with this. The individual aspects bring the whole painting together
DeleteI also agree with this. This also represents how most things in America such as corporations and government and more are made of lots and lots of people.
DeleteThis painting seems to illustrate the fact that innovation is a very important part of the United states. The painting depicts many cars flowing down the New York city streets as well as many lit up billboard signs. This is clearly Times Square so I think the artist was very drawn by the amount of life that such a small area could hold. The painting seems to suggest the United States values community and differences since this is such a diverse scene with a lot going on.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely. Without the diversity of this picture within such a small area, America would appear dull, which is not representative of America. So by the painter specifically including so much going on at once he is representative of American society.
DeleteThe choice the painter made in what location to paint really shows what they wanted to be conveyed, which is the sheer density of people and interaction as you said.
DeleteI agree with this because there are so many things going on in this one painting which accurate describes New York.
DeleteIn this painting, you can really see how American society is largely made of a consumer based economy, that is meant to make life more easy, fun, and enjoyable. In the painting, we see Coke adds, late night talk show adds, electronics adds, and taxis. All of these products that are being advertised would not be widely available in a third world country, or a country without consumer culture.
ReplyDeleteI also had a very similar thought around this picture when I first looked at it, and I think it is so important to recognize.
DeleteI think that that is a good point about consumer culture, and how all of this just shows what we value as new york
DeleteI agree. Everyone is surrounded by ads, emphasizing a focus on consumer culture.
DeleteIn this painting, you can really see how American society is largely made of a consumer based economy, that is meant to make life more easy, fun, and enjoyable. In the painting, we see Coke adds, late night talk show adds, electronics adds, and taxis. All of these products that are being advertised would not be widely available in a third world country, or a country without consumer culture.
ReplyDeleteI agree. It is really interesting how much of American life is centered around buying things, and the prevalence of advertising as a feature of our environment really shows that.
DeleteAgreed. America is run by capitalistic consumerism, something that some other countries have never experienced. To a foreigner, this concept is, well, foreign.
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ReplyDeleteThis painting illustrates the high energy and pace of American society. By including all of the bright lights against the dark night sky, it gives a feeling of a bubble of energy and activity, as if people are going places and constantly thinking forward to the next thing.
ReplyDeleteI love how you say that it "gives a feeling of a bubble of energy and activity." I also got that feeling, almost like the space and time is otherworldly, like it belongs in a different era. It's a "things to do, places to see" kind of vibe. I almost want to compare it to a strong river; it feels like once you're in the current, it's so easy to be swept up. There's very little space for reminiscence or quiet in the painting, only whatever's coming next.
DeleteI didn't even think about the contrast between the buildings and the night sky! Now that I look at this painting for a second time, I cannot help but agree about your point about the "bubble of energy". The painting radiates an aura of excitement and life.
DeleteIn this painting you see American culture is very busy because there are so many people and cars in the streets and people parachuting and there helicopters in the sky. You see the values of American society which is it being busy all the time because its night and there still being busy.
ReplyDeleteThis painting shows how fast paced and busy New York culture is. You can see cars crowding the streets and different advertisements lighting up the buildings. The picture shows all of these different aspects of New York coming together to represent a very accurate painting of the city.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I like how you managed to capture all of this in a few words. I also agree with how this image manages to capture so many different factors of what makes New York City different from other places.
DeleteThe first thing that strikes me about this painting is how busy it is. There are so many cars and buildings and lights and ads, it's almost overwhelming. But the people in the painting aren't fazed by it at all. Judging by this painting alone, you can safely infer that America is a bustling, attention grabbing place. Even the ads are trying to pull your attention this way and that, distracting you and competing for your notice. This culture seems so wrapped up in itself and so insanely busy it's both exciting and frightening.
ReplyDeleteI agree, there is a lot of detail squeezed into the painting all at once, on top of an already busy city. It can be both exhilarating and scary at the same time, trying to keep track of this thing going on, another thing going on, with companies trying to fight for consumers' attention, driving the competition and innovation race.
DeleteI agree also, this is what America (specifically big, bustling cities) looks like to foreigners and even some of it's own citizens. As someone who's never lived in a big city before, New York is very frightening and attention-grabbing.
DeleteYou can see how everything is happening quickly, and how there are flashing lights and cars going by, and you can just see how fast paced everything is, how everything on the buildings is just advertisements.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement, on how even though this is a painting it still manages to capture a lot of New York City and how everything happens so fast and how so much could happen in one single moment!
DeleteI agree! Instead of showing one second/event, it shows multiple big things happening at once. It captures the energy of the city, not an intimate moment.
DeleteIn this painting, we can infer many things, such as how America is creating a revolutionary lead for the world on industrialization. The life in the painting looks very prosperous, with many different cars, taxis, and people traveling in and out of the hub. Ads are sending out the message to consumers for them to buy products and keep the economy booming, which does add on to the values of the society pictured in the painting. Tons of people, a diverse scene, innovations and upgrades being made, customers buying and companies selling, it shows how the American culture/society is not just limited to one specific thing – there can be many things taking place all at once.
ReplyDeleteI love how you made a deeper connection to the economy revealed by the painting. It shows a city ahead of its time, one much faster and more modern than expected. The picture is also deeply layered, with comments on commercialism, innovation, advanced technology, and much more. It definitely seems like this America is one step ahead.
DeleteGood explanation on the economic aspect of the painting and societal and cultural consequences. The billboards, the busy people, the construction, the long stretches of cars, all of it taking place at once, and adding up to a prosperous society and a culture based on consuming and buying.
DeleteI agree, and I think the way you made your points about economy was very strong. When I saw the painting, I also thought about how it showcased a prosperous life, and a well-worked system of living.
Deletethe painting clearly shows the big emphasis of american economy which is advertising this is presented through the large quantity of bill boards and advertising. Furthermore it shows the life found in the country the lights and the sheer ammount of people found in the painting and really shows that america is alive all day and night long.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought about how this could represent the American economy, but I couldn't agree more with that point. America and especially new york city, has been given the idea and image that this is the land of opportunities. To a foreign person who has always thought of this when America is mentioned, a busy city with so many things going on all at once is a great way to represent a strong economy.
Deletethe painting clearly shows the big emphasis of american economy which is advertising this is presented through the large quantity of bill boards and advertising. Furthermore it shows the life found in the country the lights and the sheer ammount of people found in the painting and really shows that america is alive all day and night long.
ReplyDeleteI think that your point about the American economy is spot on. America revolves around its economy much more than other countries do. Our entire culture is built upon it. It is one of the factors that makes our country so unique and utterly remarkable.
DeleteI can see why you think this through your response. New York is one of the most famous cities in the entire world, so they focus on enticing with their huge buildings and welcoming attitude.
DeleteThe painting clearly shows how American lives are run so much my electricity and technology. The painting is so bright and colorful and so oppositional to when everything was grey from smoke and factories. Now everything is bright and colorful.
ReplyDeleteInteresting choice to look at the technology displayed in the painting. I definitely agree. The light coming from every car in the huge line stretching off the image, in addition to the light coming from every billboard and many of the windows, does a good job of showing how American society and culture is so dependent on technology.
DeleteIn the painting, American values are shown to be rooted in work. The construction workers in the bottom left corner lifting the billboard from the truck (at night) display this.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, the several advertisements scattered around the painting, such as the Coca Cola ad right in the middle, show a strong consumerist culture.
The multitude of cars and the lights emanating from them in the painting give off an overall message of a society with values rooted in openness and activity, rather than reclusiveness.
I agree with this, so much of the economy is rooted in "working," and we have seen this right now, actually. The push to get back to work, make things normal, buy products, is essentially what American societal values are rooted in. There are so many layers within this painting, and there are also so many interpretations that we can infer from the small details within.
DeleteI didn't think about this, but I totally agree. The idea of work is very prevalent in our culture, and I think the painting displays that in a lot of ways.
DeleteThe painting is emphasizing how much technology and advertising controls our society. There's nothing intimate or loving about the scene; your senses are being bombarded by every square inch of the picture, for different bright images wanting your attention. The sky has no stars in the sky, only a helicopter and parachute. This is what New York, or any major city in America really, looks like to someone who's never seen it before.
ReplyDeleteThe painting shows how impersonal the culture is, and emphasizes a sense of individualism. Each person/group has their own task/job that's unrelated to everyone else's. They're connected only by being in the same place and being advertised to by the same generic billboards. At a first glance, the scene looks exciting and lively, but there's no connection or intimacy between the figures. Even though they share a setting, each person/group has a different purpose.
ReplyDeleteI think this is very true. The painting shows very few people interacting with each other. The people are also not the focus of the image. It draws your attention to the scenery instead.
DeleteThis painting shows the liveliness and spirit of American culture. The bright colors suggest a vibrant and happy place, and the moving cars show the busy, fast-paced environment of New York. All of the different billboards show flashy commercialism, which proves that our culture is a system, where everyone is working towards a larger goal. All of these features combined demonstrate the lively nature of our society.
ReplyDeleteI like that you chose a more positive view on the amount of different things going on in the scene. You thought of it as liveliness with a larger goal, rather than chaos with people not thinking about each other.
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ReplyDeleteAt first glance, the American scene is lively and energetic based on the painting. The advertisements that are jam packed on the buildings depict the commercialism of America. The values of the people are imbedded in materialism as a result of such a booming, successful, American economy. In the painting, there's so much that meets the eye and so much to unpack and that is exactly how the American experience is.
ReplyDeleteBased on this image, the inferences that could be drawn about America is that there's no possible way to focus on one specific thing at once, and that America is built up by many different industries, cultures, societies, movements, and innovations. The image truly depicts America as a place where there's multiple things going on at once and that's what makes the U.S. different from other locations, it's diversity and economic boom and it's large dependence on technological advancements.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this. Living in New York can be very hectic and hard to manage. On top of all that, there are many distractions in this big city that hinder us from seeing the reality of New York, not the fantasy that has been made about it.
DeleteThe imagery and scenes depicted in this painting tell me that the painter truly believes that the United States is a bustling metropolis full of advertisements and massive buildings. To me, this is not a bad thing. In fact, I believe that it is a very good thing. The amount of activity going on in this painting proves to me that American society is great and full of action.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I think that all of the different components of the painting remind people that nyc is the "city that never sleeps".
DeleteThought it may look happy with its bright colors, this painting shows chaos. The colors, the traffic, and the helicopter show this. America values doing things for oneself, rather than thinking about its affect on others. Cars are cutting in front of others, because it might make them arrive at their destination seconds sooner, instead of staying organized which could make everyone go faster. Subtlety is not valued. The lights and colors are overwhelming; it is difficult to decide which part of the image should be looked at first. Constant movement and change are also valued. The people, the traffic, and the billboard being taken down are all examples of this.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I also like the way that you started off by saying that it looked positive, but in reality it isn't. Not everything is as it seems, and personally, I think the US gets too much credit for being such a great country. I think we have that potential, but we, especially right now, are not really fulfulling it.
DeleteI think that bright lights and colors used when creating the signs hint to how bright and exciting NYC can be, but also how chaotic and stressful it can be, with all of the different components in the picture. Life in nyc seems to run about a 100 miles a minute, and I think the excitement that all of the different signs and objects bring are the perfect way to express this through a painting.
ReplyDeleteThis represents the facade that New York City puts on. All these bright lights and signs are created to attract people, but once they live here they realize that it is not wonderland. Not everyone is happy in New York City. That is the reality, but these signs represent the vibrant fantasy that is popular amongst the world.
ReplyDeleteThe imagery in this painting tell me that the painter truly believes that the United States is a bustling city full of colorful ads and massive buildings. This makes me feel that the city is a vibrant and energetic place.
ReplyDeleteThis painting demonstrates the captivating chaos that is New York City. People that don't live here are always so attracted and mesmerized by the bright lights and signs and see that they would want to live there. But, once you live here and get used to the bright lights you realize the chaos and the stress that comes with living in such a fast paced city. This reflects American culture because a lot of the time people move to another place, they have certain expectations but they then they are disappointed because they have to work hard and don't get the life they wanted.
ReplyDeleteI agree because this painting shows how crowded this place is and how much it is truly affected by the people who visit there and how many bright lights there are even in the middle of the night.
DeleteThis painting depicts the liveliness of NYC and how colorful and beautiful it is. This is supported by the many tour buses cramped on the road, the person paragliding, the bright billboards, the many people and lights. This painting shines a good light on NYC only showing its beauties and not it’s economy, government, and problems.
ReplyDeleteI agree, this painting depicts the liveliness of New York by using bright colors and showing cars and bright lights everywhere.
DeleteWe can see how much society evolves with people and how much the people living there are affected by these changes. The land that is now filled with skyscrapers and buildings were once land filled with grass and animals. This land has been turned into a well known city with homes for many citizens to live in.
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