Thought Paper #6

Eva Dunn

Professor Stacy Asher

Art 195

October 28, 2012

Diverse, Yet United

          Most of the hustle and bustle that goes on in the great city of San Francisco takes place in what is known as Union Square, located along Market Street in the Downtown district.  The Union Square area holds something for everyone: BART, food, retail shopping, tourist shops, public buildings, and even museums. When touring Union Square and the surrounding area with my signage class, I noticed the drastic differences between the signs of Union Square versus the signs of the fringe of the Tenderloin. It is absolutely incredible the diversity that one can see in the various signs of San Francisco, especially in Union Square and the surrounding area.

          During my class excursion in Union Square, I noticed that many of the signs in that area were representing retail stores and, in turn, consumerism.  Basically, Union Square is just a large representation of capitalism at it’s finest. Capitalism seems to make America go ‘round, where competition between businesses fuel the norm of everyday life.  Directly in Union Square, the signs range from high-end retail stores to hole-in-the-wall low-budget stores to souvenir shops—however, each sign caters to an audience with the intention of spending money.  Although the signs’ intended audience ranges widely, many signs, especially in and around Westfield Mall, are intended for people who are from the middle to upper class.  I suppose this makes sense in the marketing field—their aim is to make signs that grab the attention of the people who can afford the product.  The signs in the mall and around Union Square seemed to be more high-budget, as well—meaning the signs and advertisements cost a lot of money.  Take this sign, for example:

 

The sign depicted is only a part of a sign that spans an entire block of the city, advertising a new building that is being constructed, the “Market Street Place,” which is intended to open in 2015.  I can only imagine how much the block-long sign cost to make and put up, but this expense is just a representation of the cost of the construction and erection of the building, which actually leads me to infer that the stores inside the building will be quite expensive as well.  Ah, capitalism, you’re like an open book to me.  Overall, the signs in the Union Square area aim to sell, to inform, and to capture attention.

          One can walk from Union Square to the fringe of the Tenderloin in just a few blocks.  With each passing step, the environment changes drastically—it goes from high-end shops to more affordable stores.  The people change, as well.  Once I turned the corner and walked down Mission Street, I could see a higher density of homeless people, many of whom seemed to be addicted to hard drugs.  When looking at signs in a place like this, I realized that the motives behind the signs’ messages are different than those in Union Square.  For example, I saw a sign in the window about a syringe access service (pictured below), which aimed to prevent HIV.   Although many signs on the fringe of the Tenderloin did aim to sell a product, it was obvious to me that the intended audience was drastically different. I saw signs advertising stores which sold porn movies and other sexual things, cheap haircuts, and low-budget eateries. The cost of the signs was obviously less than the cost of many signs in Union Square.  Because of the messages of the signs and their poor quality, I inferred that these signs were intended for the people I saw on the streets: homeless or otherwise financially struggling. It is incredible how an environment can change so drastically in such a short distance.

          While the different areas around Union Square hold different kinds of signage, there is a type of signage that is universally for all types of people: transportation and other public signage.  When visiting the BART station in Union Square, I noticed that the signs were merely informational.  They did not try and sell a product to people and they did not have any particular intended audience.  The sole purpose of these signs was to direct and inform.  And I find it amazing that something as simple as the BART could represent unity in such a diverse city.  Other public places held the same theme of unity, such as the public library.  Everyone is welcome in the public library, so the signs within aim to promote knowledge, something that anyone in the city of San Francisco can attain though reading and researching at the free library. This is such a beautiful concept: that anybody is welcome in the library or on the BART as long as they respect the sanctity of the building or system.

          Finally, I want to discuss something that I found very interesting.  The light posts in the area we were at actually depicted stories of San Francisco’s past.  Almost like the pictures one would see on an Egyptian urn.  So, while I was strolling along a new street with new signs and new products, I could actually get a glimpse of San Francisco’s past, as well.  I love the idea of picturing Union Square in the early 1900s, or even earlier.  These light posts help to strengthen that picture in my mind. Below is an example of one of the light posts I saw while walking:

 

     
          Overall, the trip to Union Square/BART/the fringe of the Tenderloin was very enlightening.  I got to see the drastic changes between a high-end marketplace and a more low-budget area.  I also found it interesting that the people of San Francisco could be united through the transportation system and the public library, among other public areas.  I also look forward to noticing more signs from different eras, such as the light posts.  

(more pictures to come)

Overly Formal Final Paper Proposal

          So, when given the task to think about the topic of my final paper, I immediately thought about what most interested me at the time: transcendentalism.  However, since then, I have realized that transcendentalism is a literary movement and does not necessarily pertain to signs.  It can pertain to some signs, yes, and it serves as an important period in history that has affected many things in modern culture.  However, to write an entire essay about transcendentalism would not express what I have learned in the class, it would merely be me desperately connecting my prior knowledge to signs that do not necessarily fall under the category of “transcendentalist.”  With that being said, I believe that the most incredible piece of signage that I have witnessed on my class outings has been Andy Goldsworthy’s work of art in Golden Gate Park entitled Drawn Stone.

I think, unless future field trips enlighten me more than this work of art has, I will write about Andy Goldsworthy.  I will focus on the meaning behind his work of art in Golden Gate Park, but I will also go into depth about his other important projects and the overall intent of his work.  I may even light upon the subject of transcendentalism while I’m at it, since I find that topic so intriguing. 

Alas, one does not do something important, like write a final paper, without first considering her options.  So, although Andy Goldsworthy is my first choice, other ideas are as follows:

1)       The Haight and how the signs represent counterculture. Overall, what counterculture means and how it pertains to everyday life in San Francisco. This paper would almost be like an extension of my Haight thought paper.

2)       What is a sign? And how does it hold deeper meaning? (The Philosophy of Signs)

3)       How this class has personally shaped my insight and perspective on signage.

And, finally,

4)       Signs through a communication major’s perspective: how do signs attract an audience?

After considering all of my options, I believe that it is safe to say that I have at least brainstormed my topic for my final paper. Although I am fairly set on the topic of Andy Goldsworthy, my topic may be subject to change with future field trips.  

(I apologize for the overly formal tone of the proposal. I was in the mood to write as if I was an old British author speaking to his book club. I hope you can understand. Smashing.)

Ocean Beach Adventure

Thought Paper #5

Eva Dunn

Professor Stacy Asher

Art 195

October 13, 2012

WPA Impact

During the 1930s, America went through the most devastating economic downturn it has ever faced.  When Roosevelt came into office in 1933, he hit the ground running with the New Deal Programs, which aimed to save America’s economy. Amidst many diverse programs, one prominent plan was the Works Progress Administration, or the WPA.  The WPA was created in order to employ millions of unskilled workers to carry out projects aimed to improve the public.  New roads and buildings were built, and artists, writers, actors, and directors were all employed because they had no other skilled training other than their passions.  Ocean Beach, or more specifically, the Beach Chalet, is an important site in history because it exemplifies the reformations in San Francisco enacted by the WPA.

During the Great Depression, the WPA employed many artists to document everyday life in the form of murals in new post offices and other important buildings.  These murals depicted the reality of the time period and now serve as a historical documentation of the Great Depression.  The Beach Chalet is a historically significant place because it houses many murals by Lucien Labaudt which depict the time period of the Great Depression.

Signage creates a sense of place at Ocean Beach.  For one, the most important signage is in the first floor of the Beach Chalet.  This signage comes in the form of murals, artifacts, informational signs, and dioramas.  These signs create a sense of knowledge of the past of Ocean Beach.  The murals promote visual recognition of the history of San Francisco.  The artifacts help others envision what life was like in the ‘30s.  The informational signs explain the history and importance of many little details one may not have picked up from merely looking at the murals or artifacts. Finally, the dioramas put things on a smaller scale, which can change one’s perspective of Golden Gate Park and San Francisco in general.  Another important type of signage at Ocean Beach is the massive amounts of graffiti.  This graffiti serves as a kind of symbol as to how WPA projects have gone downhill since the 1930s.  The degradation of the area through graffiti and the unkempt beach shows that the views of improvement during the 1930s have disintegrated.  It is important to remember one’s history.  The Beach Chalet serves to promote the remembrance of San Francisco’s history, but the disintegration of the area proves that the morals during the Great Depression are not as prominent today, and the Beach Chalet (and other WPA projects) could potentially be in danger because of that.

The WPA contributed greatly to the city and culture of San Francisco. For one, it improved the city visually, which, in turn, uplifted people’s spirits during such a difficult time.  The WPA did a number of things for San Francisco.  It improved San Francisco’s roads, which were more populous after the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge came into place.  Also, the WPA created many new public buildings and facilities such as hospitals, libraries, and Golden Gate Park buildings. Not only were new buildings erected, many existing buildings were improved and refurbished; they may have gotten new plumbing or heating facilities.  The San Francisco Zoo and San Francisco Aquatic Park were created as a result of the WPA, a great undertaking of the city of San Francisco. And finally, many parks were built because of the WPA.  All of these improvements by the WPA served to improve everyday life for the citizens of San Francisco.  The improvements of buildings and creation of recreation activities promoted happiness and a sense of well-being for San Francisco Residents. In such a devastating time period, the many improvements helped to ease the sense of devastation and help others not be as affected by the Great Depression.

Overall, the Beach Chalet is a historically significant site, which exemplifies the works administered by the WPA.  The WPA served as a vital source of happiness and well-being, not only creating jobs, but also making San Francisco more beautiful and functional in such a devastating time period.  The question is: do we need another WPA today, and what happens when the disintegration of WPA projects makes San Francisco forget its past?

(images to come)