Images of the CityImages of the City

Imagination, Representation,

Juxtaposition, Criticism

Experience and Experience and imaginationimagination Experience

◦ Five senses – which are preeminent?◦ Lynch’s “city image”◦ Focus on the “built environment” or on social

interactions?◦ Juxtapositions (large v. small, rich v. poor, nature

v. buildings) Story-telling

◦ Journalism◦ Fiction ◦ Condemnation and critique (“sin city”)

Imagination◦ Visual – painting, photography◦ Cinematic – “urban narrative and visual

representation”◦ Music – from the city, of the city, about the city

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Describing the CityDescribing the City

Journalism◦ Investigative journalism

exposes of politics, poverty, etc. Jacob Riis: “How the Other Half Lives” Upton Sinclair: “The Jungle” Mike Royko: “Boss”

◦ “portraits” of neighborhoods “In the Loop” (in Chicago Tribune Sunday magazine) Neighborhood blogs, e.g. Brooklyn’s Brownstoner or Hyde Park on

“Outside In” Fiction

◦ Urban settings and urban problems Crime and sin (drugs, prostitution) Wealth and poverty (juxtaposed) Violence and conflict (gangs, strikes, riots, revolutions)

◦ The “city” as an entity Noir crime dramas (L.A. , New York, New Orleans) Science fiction (e.g. Dhalgren)

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Condemning the CityCondemning the City

Buruma and Margalit◦ Attack on World Trade Center

Aimed at U.S., American dominance, global capitalism, the West

But, also at “the city” More specifically, “cities given to commerce and pleasure

instead of religious worship” (138)◦ Not just a reaction of fundamentalist Islamists

“whore of Babylon” “internal” criticisms of modern cities

Juxtaposition of pleasure and commerce◦ Cities are centers of entertainment, shopping◦ Places to “escape” small-town strictures◦ Symbolic centrality of sex trade◦ City as “zoo of depraved animals”◦ “city slickers” are flashy, deceptive, cold

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Stout: Visions of a New Stout: Visions of a New RealityRealityThe city in painting - impressionism

◦Impressionists examined city, not just countryside

◦Gustave Caillebotte◦Claude Monet

Social realism (Ashcan School)◦Edward Hopper◦ John Sloan

Photography◦Alfred Stieglitz◦Aerial photography◦Amateur photography

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The City in Cinema and The City in Cinema and MusicMusic Cinematic Visions

◦ Blade Runner (Ridley Scott)◦ Metropolis (Fritz Lang)◦ Manhattan (Woody Allen)

Music (Videos)◦ Bourgeois Blues (Leadbelly)◦ Downtown (Petula Clark)◦ Summer in the City (Lovin’ Spoonful)◦ In the City (The Eagles, from the movie “The Warriors”)◦ City of Angels (Ozomatli)◦ My City of Ruins (Bruce Springsteen)

Other (pop) music about cities◦ “My City Was Gone” (The Pretenders)◦ “Bad Luck City” (R.L. Burnside)◦ “Living for the City” (Stevie Wonder)◦ “Motor City Is Burning” (MC5)◦ “Sin City” (Gram Parsons)◦ And, of course “Cities” (Talking Heads)

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