City Symbols

New York City

From the skyline to the streets, signs play an integral role in the flow of New York City life. Billboards past and present linger overhead, while bus stops, traffic lights, and store front signs actually guide movement. Individuals and groups attempt to find their place in the city amidst the overwhelming stimuli. Just as signs dominate the city-goer, so too does the city-goer dictate the signs. Her interests define what should be advertised and her movements dictate where, and in this way, we are all contributing to the ever-changing facades overhead.

Amidst the browns and greys of old and new buildings emerge the green traffic light and Apple TV advertisement. Notably, the brand name is absent here, replaced instead with the infamous logo.

Peeling paint reflects the city's past. Advertisements once stood here, perhaps indicative of increasing and decreasing relevancy for the city's various neighborhoods.

From The High Line—itself a tourist attraction—other tourists are visible, gathering near a bus stop as they plan their day. Above them hangs a museum advertisement which may fail to enter their itinerary.

In Chinatown, English and Mandarin coexist as locals and tourists mingle on the street level, reaching understanding over the smells of produce and meat.

Buff Monster, an artist affiliated with the 100 Gates Project, painted this sign on the security gate just beneath the store's own sign. Passersby epitomize what the city stands for: art, creativity, diversity.

The photographer attempts to contribute to the world of signs. My reflection alongside street art in this window front is a transitory, fleeting attempt at becoming part of the cities iconography—with the photo, perhaps, a more permanent part of the corpus of images.