October 6th responses

Something so ubiquitous can still remain so alluring as is the case with the LOVE sculpture's, where its so tempting to stop and take a photo in Manhattan with the sculpture as a character and the city as a back drop. This piece is such an inviting icon because it promotes interactivity with a tremendously low barrier or understanding. Its message is simple and offers very little restrictions, but instead invites you to pose through the sculptures holes and spaces. A truly remarkable feat of having such playfulness while remaining iconic.

In regards to the narratives that occur within my own walk in my neighborhoods, I gathered two images that bad a rich enough narrative to speak to.

The first is right outside my apartment in Chinatown, where a local business owner has place an ad for space for rent. As with most urbanized spaces, the sign is a victim of vandalism and has a fair amount of markings on it. Yet, the narrative I find is that there is a clash of cultures occurring in the language being advertised and the markings being drawn. Where all the words or symbols are in English, and seem to directly cover up the Chinese writings of the signs.

The second piece is a traffic light control box with an official government engraving, but someone has placed an uber promotion on the side of the box. The irony being that uber seems to be at war with every city it steps into, and the small taping of an ad just seems indicative of their strategy to be in every city possible. They find new ways to enter new markets and do it so suddenly and quickly.