Hello followers! I’d like to apologize for the silence since the end of the fellowship period. Let’s just say I’ve been job hunting like crazy so it’s taking up all of my time. I am planning on continuing the project but it’s on a little hiatus at the moment on my part. User submissions will be featured during the hiauts if they are received - so keep that in mind. Thanks for the continued support!
Eddie
Welcome to a very important Weekly Recap. Why? Well it will be the last one under the SoundCloud fellowship! Time sure does fly fast and I’ve had a great time going out and recording sounds in New York and Montreal. I’d like to thank those who sent in sounds for the project your contribution is very well appreciated! Now this doesn’t mean it’s the terminal end of the project. The project will continue, but there will be less posts unfortunately from myself. So this would be an amazing opportunity for all of you lovely followers to send in any sounds if you have any! You might know the drill by now, but if you don’t click on this link and you’ll get all the info you need! Now onto the recap!
Now this week will be a bit interesting because it’ll be sounds from Montreal and NYC! The maps were a bit more challenging due to me not knowing the general topography/urban planning of Montreal. The good news is that I love a challenge and I created a couple of maps I think you’ll enjoy. Now for Montreal I picked out some of the best sounds I recorded and they all coincidentally fall under the same neighborhood! The Quartier des Spectacles is a developing entertainment district in East Downtown Montreal. As I mentioned before the city is creating a variety of events to make sure this district becomes Montreal’s premier attraction - for both tourists and residents alike. So lucky for you all the sounds will be on one map, but I wanted to create another one just for fun. The first map is going to detail what borough the Quartier is in and it’s location in Metropolitan Montreal.
Finally, the next map brings us back to familiar territory. As I mentioned in my post, this final sound is important for me as it represents the city that I’ve come to know. Using the Arch as a catalyst the sounds from Washington Square Park gives you guys a peek into why I adore New York City. From the chattering NYU students, to the street performers, to the tourists, and of course the traffic I couldn’t have chosen a better city to fall in love with.
As that’s a wrap for my fellowship with SoundCloud! Now just one bit of news to share. I have co-organized the NYC meetup for SoundCloud Global Meetup Day this Wednesday. We’ll be doing an audio pizza scavenger hunt! I’m salivating already. To find out all of the details click on this link! Thanks for being an awesome crowd these past few months and remember to check back as I will continue to update the project. Philadelphia will be getting a visit very soon. CIAO!
It’s back to NYC! Now this recording is a bit personal for me because of its location. The Washington Square Arch is one of the most iconic structures in Lower Manhattan. To give you a bit of history lesson the arch was originally wooden and meant to be temporary. The first arch was erected in 1889 to commemorate the centennial of George Washington’s inauguration. This wooden arch became a huge hit ultimately motivating the residents to raise money for a beautiful permanent structure. The arch that we see today, built in 1895, is a product of the City Beautiful Movement - where American cities created public spaces and structures that would rival those in European cities. The Washington Square Arch has since stood at its very spot as the gateway to Washington Square Park and the Greenwich Village.
Now, why is this personal you ask? Well the arch has become an unofficial mascot of sorts to NYU, which just happens to be my alma mater. One of the lasting images I have from my first week at college was looking at the majestic arch set against the backdrop of 5th Ave. and the row of beautiful townhouses on the north side of park. Through the years the Park and Arch became a part of the “campus” I came to know. Even though the site of the arch became commonplace I would never give up the chance to just sit by the structure and just take in the sounds on a nice spring or summer day. That’s exactly what you’ll hear in this recording. The sounds that deepened my love for good old New York.
As always I’m looking for user submissions, so check out this link to find out how you can have your sounds featured on the site!
SoundCloud Global Meetup Day :: 5 October 2011
It’s only one week to go until our Global Meetup Day. SoundClouders around the world are gearing up for our Global Meetup Day next Wednesday. Want to know what sound means to the people of San Francisco? Dublin? New Yorkers?
Various meetup organizers around the world have been kind enough to share with us their plans for the day. Take a sneak peak and find out how to get involved on the blog!
I’m organizing a Meetup with the NYC Nomad! Join us as we go on an audio hunt for the best pizza slice in Lower Manhattan!
I’ll be closing out the Montreal chapter of the project this week with this recording. As I walked around downtown I stumbled upon Rue Sainte Catherine about a dozen times. The street is almost like 5th Ave, you can’t really escape it. The portion of St. Catherine I recorded around was a pretty interesting area. It reminded me a lot of St. Mark’s Pl. with tattoo parlors and an overall grungy feel to it. Additionally this section of the street was FILLED with street art. Almost everywhere I looked there was a mural, graffiti, or tagging. It was absolutely amazing. In fact, it was so good that I need to do more than just one picture to illustrate the street correctly. I’ve grown to love these recordings because they ultimately tell the story of a city or neighborhood. Through these sounds you can start to visualize how vibrant of how relaxing a place can be. In this recording you’ll hear some more French Canadian, music blaring from cars, and that bit of wind that never seems to leave me alone.
Today I take you guys onto the Boulevard De Maisonneuve in Downtown Montreal. After getting off the Saint Laurent Metro Station I decided to walk down this Boulevard, and what a great decision it was! As I walked down the street a noticed a siding of a complex was completely painted into a beautiful mural. After a couple more minutes on the street another complex had a great mural, followed by another. By the time I got to the middle of the long avenue I realized that almost all of the apartment complexes were made into urban art masterpieces! The entire neighborhood surrounding the Saint Laurent Metro stop is filled with street and graffiti art galore. If you’re an urban art enthusiast I advise you to head to Montreal immediately! In the recording you’ll hear all of the sounds I encountered along my walk down the street. There’s college students chattering, cars driving by, soccer games, and yes my footsteps. Enjoy!
Now I’m really excited about the sound I’ll be featuring today. The recording was done in Montreal’s “Quartier des Spectacles” specifically by the water fountains in front of the Contemporary Art Museum. The “Quartier des Spectacles” is an initiative by the city and fellow partners to liven up the downtown area through the use of visual culture. By putting up several art installations, public concerts, and more the city hopes that this initiative gives Montreal a unique identity that will keep residents and tourists coming back for more. I find this recording to be a particular stand out for multiple reasons. First I love how Montrealers and tourists interacted with the space. Some sat and read a book, or like myself, enjoyed a mid afternoon snack. Others - like the students in the beginning of the recording - were more active with the fountains playing around and using it to their pleasure. Now you’ll notice that there seem to be two different takes in the same area. Well I came back to the site at the end of my day to take a breath and noticed that all of the fountains were working! When I was there earlier in the day, it was just the main one. As the entire set started up a water show I noticed that the sounds of the water splashing had a bit of a tempo to it! I also love the different languages you hear in the recording, particularly the Canadian French and Spanish at the beginning. If you want to find out more about the Quartier read their mission statement here!
Hello all! Sorry for the hiatus, I had limited internet after getting back in the States Sunday night. So today I’ll start featuring the sounds I collected during my short trip in Montreal. Today’s find comes from the Promenade des Artistes in Downtown Montreal. Guy Laliberté, the founder of Cirque du Soleil and I’m told a demi-god in Quebec, is exhibiting photos he took when he went on an eleven day space expedition in 2009. The exhibition - entitled Gaia - was a pretty interesting sight to stumble upon. In addition to about sixty abstract photos of Earth being displayed in public, the site featured a crosswalk that spewed mist that many UQAM college students seemed to be very entertained with. The site was a great place to take a zen moment on the sunny crisp Friday, especially after walking through alleyways to look for some gritty Montreal art. If you want to find out more about the public exhibit, click here!
Hello all! I have just woken up in a rather chilly Montreal (have to get used to the colder weather that’s coming in I guess). Now can I say one thing, and it’s going to sound rather silly of me to say, but I didn’t realize how french the city was going to be. I think growing up I’ve always been used to French being spoken in France primarily so it’s a bit trippy to hear French spoken in North America. Nevertheless I am enjoying my time in Montreal very much and taking in all that Canada has to offer. Yesterday I walked around a large portion of the downtown Montreal area and got some pretty good finds that will be featured next week! The plan today is to keep looking so I hope you guys end up enjoying the sounds I pick up over my weekend trip here. As they would say here - au revoir!
Today’s find takes us to the Lower East Side with the Guggenheim Museum’s BMW Lab. The lab is a new project by the Guggenheim Museum built to ignite discussions in urban development. As the Guggenheim’s mission statement says:
The BMW Guggenheim Lab is a mobile laboratory traveling to nine major cities worldwide over six years. Led by international, interdisciplinary teams of emerging talents in the areas of urbanism, architecture, art, design, science, technology, education, and sustainability, the Lab addresses issues of contemporary urban life through programs and public discourse. Its goal is the exploration of new ideas, experimentation, and ultimately the creation of forward-thinking solutions for city life.
The program is divided into three two-year cycles, each with their own unique theme. The theme for this cycle is Confronting Comfort bringing into discourse the challenge of mixing individual and collective comfort with social and environmental responsibility. I provide a lot more info in the recording so press play and enjoy!
This past week brought some new sounds and an exciting announcement. On Labor Day I took you to the border of the East Village and the Bowery for a Shepard Fairey mural on the side of the Cooper Square Hotel. On Wednesday we strolled down into the Bowery and stopped by the former Deitch wall on Houston. There we discovered JR’s photographic mural which is a part of his Inside Out Project. On Thursday, I made the exciting announcement of my trip to couple of cities in the next couple of months, the first one being Montreal! Finally on Friday, we had some fellow love as Katie featured my sounds for her Sounds of My City Project.
Today marks the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11th attacks. As a native New Yorker and with the heart of this project in New York, I would like to say that this project serves as a reminder of how resilient and vibrant the city is. The sounds paint a contemporary portrait of the city I have and will always love. My prayers and thoughts are with everyone and anyone affected by this great tragedy.
As always check out the maps below to look for the finds yourselves and always remember you can become a part of the project as well! Also Montrealites (is that the right word?) send me your tips before my trip this Thursday!
Summer Nights in Reading, PA - Submitted by Eduardo Lipe
Happy Friday, all! I hope you all had a great first non-summer week, and have some lovely weekend plans! I am going back to Toronto tomorrow to have high tea at Moroco Chocolate in Yorkville with my dear friend, hopefully we can get some Toronto International Film Festival star sightings in!
Today’s sounds come from my fellow fellow, Eddie, whose amazing Without Walls Project is currently on the road up to Canada - the wonderful Montreal, to be exact!
I chose to feature these sounds today as an homage to the end of a wonderful summer. He captured the soothing sounds of a summer night in Reading, Pennsylvania. A lovely soundscape, I think. Eddie explains,
“I recorded the sounds around the time of sunset. Sounds beautiful, even if the bugs can get annoying as they fly into you.”
Oh, the bugs. I know all about ‘em. You can definitely hear them in this recording but it’s so nice to listen to! I elect this sound to be today’s Moment of Zen. So, close your eyes, pause for a couple minutes, and listen to the soothing sounds of summer’s end in suburban Pennsylvania.
Thanks so much for sharing with me, Eddie! Good luck on your road trip up north - get yourself some delicious Montreal Smoked Meat, Poutine, Bagels, Steamed Hot Dogs, and some Tim Horton’s. Cover all your bases.
To follow and participate in Eddie’s wonderful fellowship project, click HERE for his Tumblr blog and HERE for @withoutwallspjt on Twitter.
Have a great weekend, all! I might post once or twice more before I jet off to Berlin, but then there will be a bit of a hiatus on the blog so don’t forget about the project! Keep sending in your submissions, and I’ll post them as soon as I’m all settled across the pond. Tschüss!
Check out my guest sounds on my fellow’s project!
Hello, fellow followers and thanks for coming onto the blog for this announcement. So as you know I’ve been traveling through New York looking for public art spaces - no matter how small or large. Well, I’m happy to announce that I’m taking my one-man scavenger hunt on the road! I will be visiting a couple of cities in the following weeks to document what those cities have to offer in terms of public art spaces. So what cities will I be going to? Well, I think it’ll be fun to keep you guys guessing every week but I’ll announce the city I’ll be going to next week….. Montreal!
That’s right! I’ll be crossing the border and in francophone land for some art fun. So, why am I choosing this city particularly? Well a couple of reasons. One important one, I have friends in the city so traveling there won’t be too expensive. I am a recent grad with no job so gotta cut costs where you can! Another important reason is Montreal’s extensive documentation of all of the official public art work the city possesses - over 200 to be exact. From the research I have gathered Montreal ALSO has a pretty vibrant street art community which of course is a big component of the project. Plus, I think it would be pretty awesome to capture some candid moments in French Canadian, don’t you think? Of course I’ll need some help from you guys in terms of tips! If you guys have any awesome recommendations for public art to see in the city - send it my way (eduardo.i.lipe@gmail.com)! I hope you guys are excited as I am to take this journey on!
Today’s find takes us to the corner of Houston St & Bowery aka the former Deitch Project Wall. The story of the Deitch Wall begins in 2008 when Jeffrey Deitch teamed up with Goldman Properties - a real estate agency - to commission quarterly work on the wall. Since then the wall has seen murals by the likes of the Keith Haring Foundation, Os Gemeos, Shepard Fairey, and Barry McGee. Once Deitch took off for Los Angeles in 2010 the wall became entirely managed by Goldman Properties (although the wall is managed by Meghan Coleman, former Deitch director). Goldman Properties has kept the wall alive with recent works by Kenny Scharf and now Parisian street artist JR. Now the interesting fact about the photo mural on the Goldman Wall is that it is part of a public art project itself! JR is the 2011 TED Prize winner and with the $100,000 prize the artist has decided to start the Inside Out project. The project challenges the public to take black & white portraits of themselves and then exhibiting these photographs in public. These photographs are meant to tell the stories of individuals who usually go unheard in our global mainstream culture. On Goldman Wall we see the eyes of DJ Two Bears - a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe in North Dakota. As Two Bears puts it:
“People forget that we’re here as Native American people. This is a great chance for the community of Standing Rock to tell their story,”
As of right now the project has had over 10,000 portraits uploaded. If you want to look at some of these portraits, or even participate yourself click here. In the sounds around the mural you’ll hear why New Yorkers loathe Houston St. Stay tuned for an announcement from me on a special initiative I’ll be taking on for the project this month!
Photo Credit: Freshnessmag.com
Happy Labor Day! As many of you take in the unofficial end of summer (and a long weekend) I present to you a new find. This find is by the famed Shepard Fairey and can be found on Bowery & East 5th St. If you don’t recognize the name, you probably have seen his work. Among having murals in almost every corner of the world, he also designed the Obama “Hope” poster that went viral during the 2008 presidential election. In addition his work can be seen in some of the most prolific museums in the world such as the MoMA, the Smithsonian, and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The particular mural on the side of the Cooper Square Hotel is part of the hotel’s Art Wall Project. The mural depict a Myanmar Buddhist monk with an umbrella - a surprisingly politically charged subject. In 2007 these monks began to be prosecuted by the government because of their peaceful protests against the rulers. The mural serves as a voice for those being oppressed in Myanmar as well as a reminder of the price of freedom of speech. The sounds captured around the mural are fairly representative of the Bowery: loud traffic and chatty New Yorkers.
Missed a recap? Want to look over all the neighborhoods that have been featured? Don’t fret! There is now a new maps page with an aggregate of all the maps on the blog! Just look at the top bar and you’ll find the tab.
It’s Post-Irene Sunday here on the East Coast. I hope everyone here kept safe during the rather windy and rainy conditions. So here’s something to look forward to, the weekly recap! So this week was all about user submissions as I featured the two of the first submissions I have received. On Monday I featured Jeff’s sounds from Athens Square Park in Astoria. A rousing rendition of Cascada is always a great way to get your work week going. On Wednesday we went across the pond with Peter as he showed us the power and potential behind public art through an excerpt of the “Hopes and Fears” Project. I’ve enjoyed receiving these submissions and would like to remind all of you that you can always send me sounds, just check out the Participate page for more information! The more, the merrier. For this week, expect recordings to come a little later in the week than usual from me. I’m in Pennsylvania for the time being, and won’t be in the city until later this week. Until then enjoy the maps of Astoria and England below!
The power behind art is undeniable. When you’re in a museum there’s that specific painting that just makes you drop everything and just look. When you’re on the street there’s always that one piece of street art that makes you stop and think, even if its for 30 seconds. Art also has the power to heal and communicate a powerful story. Today’s recording is another user submission, Peter Snelling from the UK. Peter is a producer who’s mission is to give voices to those that usually go unheard. He does this through various art and creative projects, one of them being the “Hopes and Fear Project”. In the project teenagers talk about what their hopes and fears are striking some funny, powerful, and inspiring stories. At the end of the project the teenagers went on to create print art work and exhibited to their community at the Exeter Pheonix. Their stories were also told over the radio Phonic FM. The recording featured today is from a young girl Bea, who battled leukemia. Powerful story but one that should be heard. I would like to thank the users that have submitted material thus far in the project and would like to remind all of you, you can submit material as well. Just click on the Participate page to get all of the details!
Happy Monday everyone! I am happy to report that I have gotten some user submissions and I will be featuring them this week. The first one comes from Jeff in Astoria, Queens (my home borough!) and it is set in Athens Square Park. The park was originally a playground which the city acquired in 1963. In 1990 a $1 million dollar reconstruction of the space, funded by the city, motivated the neighbors to make the playground a public park space for the community. A community group under the name ‘Athens Square, Inc.’ planned the reconstruction and decided on a design that resembled Athens itself. Why you ask? As many New Yorkers know, Astoria is predominantly a Greek community. The new park was to be comprised of three parts:
Through the 1990s, the group slowly built what is the Astoria Square Park we see today. Fun fact, one of the sculptures in the park is an actual gift from the mayor of Athens in 1998! The recording itself is from an Italian Festival that occurred in the park over the weekend. I hope this cover of Cascada’s “Every Time We Touch” will bring a smile to your face on the start of your work week. I know I smiled and maybe giggled a little.
It’s Saturday, so it’s time for this week’s recap! On Tuesday I took you guys to Astor Place for not one, but two artworks! As the Alamo sits on an island at Astor Place, lamp posts around it were turned into temporary art works by the City itself! On Wednesday I posted a hello message to all of the new followers of the project as well as a call for action. Later on in the day, I got word that the project was featured on another blog, ARTCO’s to be exact! Finally yesterday, I posted a recording from the base of the iconic Flatiron building. Kind of a busy week for the project don’t you think? Stay tuned to next week as I will feature a user submission and more! Until then, look below for those friendly neighborhood maps. Have a good weekend!
Today’s find takes us to one of New York’s most iconic buildings, the Flatiron. Located on 23rd st between Broadway & 5th Ave the building was one of the first major skyscrapers to be erected in the city. At the base of the building there is vast retail space housing businesses like MAC Cosmetics and Sprint. Sprint has taken the great initiative to use part of their retail space as a sort of gallery showroom for new and emerging artists. Dubbed the “Flatiron Prow Artspace”, the company’s mission is to display artwork that is “as unique and engaging as the building itself, with an emphasis on pieces that reflect the company’s commitment to eco-friendly living, technology and interaction”. The artwork that was on display was Miles Neidinger’s “Everything We See is Never Enough”. The massive structure models various synthetic materials such as twist ties, bright drinking straws, vinyl tape, and yarn and into seemingly organic shapes. In doing so the artist hopes the viewer strips away preconceived notions about synthetic materials and sees the materials in a “new found physical state”. In the sound recording you’ll hear the sounds of afternoon rush hour on the street: cars beeping, ambulance sirens, and people laughing as they clock out of work and into a happy hour nearby.
Hello to all my new followers and a call for submissions!
First off I’d like to take the time to take some time out to say hello to all of the new followers! I take it you guys like what you’re seeing and are looking forward to more. Also if you joined from SoundCloud thanks again, I got over 100 followers overnight so it’s a pretty awesome accomplishment. I’ll be posting a personal recording thanking everyone on my SoundCloud page very soon. So let’s get on with today’s recording!
Today I’m taking you guys to the East Village. Located just south of 14th St, this neighborhood is known for its relatively cheap eats, St. Mark’s, and the abundance of NYU students (myself included) that run around at night. This recording is also a double header of sorts. It features the “Alamo”, a black cube in the middle of Astor Place which can be spun on its axis. It’s a bit of ritual to push the cube once you’ve moved to New York. Originally installed in 1967 the sculpture was meant to be temporary but residents of the area petitioned for it to become a permanent fixture. The second artwork is a temporary piece commissioned by the city itself. A couple of lampposts throughout the East Village have been tagged with fluorescent cables by the Animus Art Collective. Commissioned by the Department of Transportation it is being used as markers for the city’s fourth annual “Summer Streets” program.
Finally, I have decided that I will be going to Philly, Boston, and Montreal to capture some sounds for the project. If any of you guys are from these cities I would love some tips on where to look for some cool street art as well as some submissions from you guys! Remember you can find all the information you need under the Participate page. That’s all for now, ciao!
So this is a new little feature I’ll try out, a weekly recap. In the weekly recap, I will just simply talk about the finds of the weeks and include the lovely neighborhood maps. So let’s get started. The first find this week was a mural by Dima on the side of L’asso, a pizzeria in NoLita. This was followed by the boisterous sounds of Le Bain at the Standard Hotel in the Meatpacking District. Finally, yesterday I took you to the edge of SoHo and NoLita for an innovative public art forum known as the Storefront. Down below you’ll find your guides to these neighborhoods and where you will find these specific locations. Have a great weekend!
Today’s sounds takes us on the border of SoHo and NoLita, on Kenmare St & Centre St. As I mentioned earlier this week I lived in area, specifically on Broome & Centre. My bedroom window looked out onto Kenmare St. & Centre St. and I would always look at these odd line designs on the side of a building. I always wondered if it was some type of mural or art project because i never saw this said “Storefront” in action. That changed one afternoon when I looked out and saw that the designs came to life and jutted out into the streets, much like the picture above. Swarms of people weaved in and out of the space as they watched videos and looked at images for an exhibition that was on. This specific space made me realize just how versatile public art and exhibition spaces could be. I mean, when can you say simple line designs move to open up an entire gallery space! The space is known as the Storefront for Art and Design, and the organization’s mission is to be involved in the advancement of innovative work in art, architecture, and design. As their mission statement says:
Our program of exhibitions, artists talks, film screenings, conferences and publications is intended to generate dialogue and collaboration across geographic, ideological and disciplinary boundaries. As a public forum for emerging voices, Storefront explores vital issues in art and architecture with the intent of increasing awareness of and interest in contemporary design.
The whole point of the Without Walls Project is to exhibit sounds around public art forums and I thought why not record around the very space that I credit with opening up my eyes on what public art forums can be. With this recording you’ll hear how the space sounds like on a day with no exhibitions and the line designs integrated themselves into the brick walls that surround them. I would love to go back and record when there is an exhibition on. Or maybe one of you guys could help me? Anyways expect a map recap for the week very soon.
Photo Credit: arrestedmotion.com
Today I’ll be taking you guys back to the Meatpacking District inside the Standard Hotel. Now remember the last time we were here I introduced you guys to the KAWS sculpture in front of the hotel. The Standard Hotel has gained a bit of a reputation in the city. Not only as a destination for lodging but for nightlife as well. The recently opened Boom Boom Room has raised its profile for locals and visitors looking for a good time. Another section of the hotel, Le Bain, has people talking. This specific two-floor area of the hotel has a 4 foot hot tub (thus the name Le Bain) and half of the roof of the hotel where you can get a gorgeous view of Upper Manhattan and nearby Hoboken. Another awesome aspect of Le Bain is its ties to the art and culture world. Since its opening many organizations have held events and openings here. A recent one was Ryan McGinness debuting his work “Woman: The Blacklight Paintings” during the Armory Show in March. As I have preached before public art spaces don’t just have to be the run-of-the-mill sculptures but they can be spaces as well. So when I went out last Thursday at Le Bain the DJ had a violinist come up and join her for part of her set. The entire place was dancing and watching to it and I couldn’t help but record. Enjoy the Robyn and Yelle covers!
First off, apologies on the lack of posts last week! Close to no internet access and prep for a job interview will do such a thing, but I’m back and with a couple of sounds for you. Today I’ll take you down to the quaint neighborhood of NoLita. The neighborhood is wedged right in between SoHo, Little Italy, and the Lower East Side and has a lot of great restaurants you can dine in. I used to live in this area my junior year of college and the food choices were awesome. One of my favorite restaurants was a pizzeria called L’asso. At this pizzeria there are new creations weekly and the best part? The seasonal craft beer they have on tap. Not only are they delicious but from local breweries. On the side of restaurant there is an awesome mural by Dima, entitled “The Ace” and this is where our sound recording today will take us.
Photo Courtesy of: Laughing Squid
The restaurant in on a street where, in addition to other delicious eats, there are also a bit of industrial spaces as well. In other words, it might be a bit of a loud recording so keep the volume at low.
Sorry for the lack of posts this week! Life kind of snuck up and took over my week. Don’t fret though, lots of sounds and finds this week! Find out what I came across downtown starting tomorrow.
To all of the new followers! Welcome to the project. If you’d like to be a part of the project follow this link and it’ll give you everything you need to know!
(Click through on Tumblr Dashboard to see all the illustrations!)
Last week I decided to take a stroll on the High Line Park. Now the High Line is one of my favorites places to go to in the city. One of the reasons I’m attracted to it is the location. It borders the Hudson River which makes for a great view on nice days. Another reason is the entire idea behind the park. The High Line is built on what used to be abandoned elevated railway tracks. After years of fundraising and building the southern half of the park opened to the public in 2009. This summer another portion of the park was just opened to the public. There are also a lot of great art initiatives on and around the park. The Whitney Museum is building a downtown building just by the High Line and regularly commission public art works to build up hype for the project. The actual organization that runs the High Line, Friends of the High Line, regularly put art for public consummation on the actual park.
On my trip last week I found a couple of art works on and around the park. The first major one being a sculpture by KAWS at the foot of the Standard Hotel (West 13th St. & Washington St.).
Photo Credit: ARTCO
KAWS started out as a graffiti artist tagging images in his native Jersey City and since then has become an international sensation. His sculpture “Companion” is on view thru October. When I went to record I meant to pick a spot right by the foot of the sculpture but was eventually chased out by a team of photographers shooting some fashion editorial. Typical. So I took charge and went up to the High Line where there’s a seat area that overlooks the KAWS sculpture. That day the wind was whipping, which was a good thing since it was such a hot day! There were people taking a break from work, tourists taking a break from their day, and people just strolling by enjoy a lazy summer afternoon. Take a listen:
After I cooled off for a bit I continued to walk the park. It was a rather slow afternoon on the park, which I don’t mind. Weekends can be a bit of hassle as its filled with tourists. As I was walking up the park I came across a sculpture of oddly shaped birdhouses on wires.
Photo Credit: Sarah Sze
The installation is a work by contemporary artist Sarah Sze (Between West 20th St. & West 21st St on the High Line). The great thing about the installation was that it also acts within in nature. Birds, butterflies and more interacts with art work. Pretty cool! The majority of the park goers thought so as well as many of them decided to stop and take multiple pictures of the installation.
As I continued to walk up the park I noticed a giant black canvas on the roof of a building off of the High Line. This ended up being my favorite find of the trip, mainly because it wasn’t commissioned by the High Line.
Photo Credit: Coburn Projects
I didn’t recognize the name of the artist but I should have once I did a Google search. The work is by Jordan Betten who is the founder of Lost Art, a leather couture brand that has outfitted major artists such as Lenny Kravitz, Steven Tyler, and more. He started to create art work in 2005. His work off of the High Line is simply called “High Lines” (Between 27th St. and 28th St. on the High Line). I loved this one mainly because of the interactions between parks goers. Everyone stopped and talked about the art, you can even hear a French family talk about it in my recording! Check out the sounds for both Sarah and Jordan below:
I had to end my adventuring pretty early due to how hot it was getting and unfortunately I wasn’t able to get more sounds last week due to the blistering heat! Mother Nature sure can hand us a heavy hand to say the least. Wondering where I’ll be heading to next? Stay tuned…
I think its a good time as any to remind everyone they can be a part of the project! Stumble upon any cool public art in New York or beyond? Record the sounds and send them my way and I’ll feature it on the blog! I can use all the help I can get!
A very late but welcome hello to everyone from a sweltering New York City. Although there looks like there won’t be a shower in sight for the week it would probably be a welcome sight. It should be close to 100 degrees by the end of the week! Of course what do I do in this heat? Go out and record. Now the heat is hindering my stamina a bit but I’m powering through and making sure to hit up some of the bigger public art spots in the city. One of the first places I went to was Union Square, the temporary home for Rob Pruitt’s tribute to Andy Warhol. To say Mr. Warhol is a major influence of pop culture would be an understatement. From his early graphic design work to his infamous Campbell Soup Cans we see references to Warhol in our everyday lives.
(Photo Credit: James Ewing)
The monument Pruitt erected depicts Warhol in the manner in which many saw him and still see him. The slick and silver Warhol is clutching a Bloomingdale’s bag as he’s wearing his wayfarer glasses and is slinging around his Polaroid camera. The monument can be found on the busy intersection of 17th St. and Broadway. In a way its an ode to how much the artist loved New York and the surface value of the city. Since its Summer the city has placed numerous seats and tables on a plaza right behind the sculpture where you can sit and lunch as the majestic Warhol overlooks the city below you. The sounds around Warhol capture the essence of New York on a summer afternoon. Go ahead and take a listen.
After I had a lunch with a friend I decided to take a stroll up to Madison Square Park, home of the scrumptious Shake Shack. The awesome thing about New York is that the city finds ways to incorporate art into everyday life. At Madison Square I found Jaume Plensa’s “Echo”.
(Photo Credit: James Ewing)
I’m not going to lie to you when I say the sculpture is kind of trippy. The young woman’s head is elongated which makes for a double take. The sounds around the sculpture are very different from those around Mr. Warhol. The city fades away as nature and people themselves become clearer.
That was the scavenging I did yesterday in the city, that is before the sun won and I had to run and take cover. Next up I’ll be posting my finds in the Meatpacking District and the always amazing High Line. Ciao!
Greetings from Berlin! I came in at around 12pm local time (so about 6am back at home). I was traveling from 1:30pm EST - 6:00am EST yesterday so to say I was tired is an understatement. After meeting and getting some food with the other lovely SoundCloud fellows, I feel asleep HARD. How hard? Well it’s almost 9:30am in Berlin and I’m on Berlin time. I took a nap at around 4:00pm and woke up at 6. I then decided to fight my best efforts to fall asleep until a reasonable time and once the clock hit 10pm, I was fast asleep. ANYWAYS, jet lag issues aside I’m very ecstatic to be in this city right now. It’s one of the places I was mad I didn’t get to go to when I studied abroad so this is pretty awesome. I hope the weather changes soon. Like a dummy I packed most summer clothing. It is in the 60s and rainy here right now. Needless to say I did not pack a jacket nor an umbrella. Luckily it should get warmer and sunnier to I’m very happy about that.
Of course I will be recording sounds while I’m here and that will be begin either today or tomorrow (the weather should be nicer tomorrow) so stay tuned. The first stop might be the East Berlin Wall Gallery. Anyways, I have to meet at the SoundCloud offices in about an hour and half so I should be getting ready for my day. Happy 4th of July to all of my fellow Americanos and I will be making sure to be celebrating even if I’m an ocean away.
CHEERS!
The maps that will be used will be specific to the neighborhood. As you can see above Thinglink will be the power I use to combine audio and imagery. It will make for a dynamic experience.
