Thought Paper #4

     Signage is important for many different reasons. It can serve as directions to lead people to a particular destination. It can bring color and art to a once plain white wall or billboard. It can be monumental or even simply serve as a reminder to keep off the outdoor bowling greens in a public park. The signage in Golden Gate Park does all of these things and more. If you were to take a stroll around the park, it wouldn’t be long before you found one of the many monumental statues of important historical figures. The signage within Golden Gate Park has done quite a bit in the way of developing the area. It has made the park an easily accessible and enjoyable place for people of all ages to enjoy. With the clear directional signs, it is quite simple to find your way to just about any specific destination in the park. While I was enjoying the sunshine in the park with Madeline last week, we found the directional signage particularly useful in finding our way to the carousel and outdoor bowling greens.  The many different statues and works of art have also attracted people from all over the country to come and see the sights for themselves.

     The signage varies in all different parts of the park. It is quite noticeable to see the difference between the signage on the exterior of the various museums. Outside of the Science Museum there are various statues, but the majority of what surrounds it pertains to the scientific field. Similarly, many varying forms of art encompass the de Young Art Museum, as if to give you a taste of what lies within. I think that it is a fair assessment to say that the exterior of the museums in the park often reflects upon what lies within the walls. It’s a way of using signage to clue people in on what surrounds them.

     If you are a perceptive individual in the slightest, it won’t be very difficult to notice how the visual language of the signage communicates information on what the museums contain. By simply looking around the exterior of a museum, the forms of art and signage will certainly clue you in on what the museums contain. Even the architectural aspects of the museums reflect upon what kind of museum you are approaching.

     Noticing and reading signage is really all about being perceptive and reading the landscape. It is quite easy to miss simple pieces of signage that can tell a whole story or help you to make connections. By looking deeply into what surrounds you though, I can almost guarantee that you will find yourself learning so much more about the area.  

Thought Paper #3

     In the late 1880s, the Haight and Ashbury district was a place to live outside of the hustle and bustle of downtown San Francisco. It was almost like a little suburb of the city at the time. However, this district has changed dramatically over the years. It was the central location for hippies in the late 1950s and 1960s, and due to its popularity during these years; it was the prime spot for the “Summer of Love” in 1967. People came from all over the country that year in hopes of seeking out free love, drugs and rock and roll.

     The corner of Haight and Ashbury remains the most famous spot for tourists in district, because this is where the height of all the action took place. Most people are attracted to interesting and exciting places because they are simply fun to visit. Places with a lot of history behind them make them that much more intriguing. Thus, it should come to no surprise that corner of Haight and Ashbury is a historic, tourist location. The area is certainly still a fun, happening place to visit. There are plenty of funky shops and interesting restaurants to try out. Most of the businesses on Haight Street work hard to maintain the flower power and hippy vibe that it is known for.

     Counterculture would be an appropriate term to describe the mentality of many of the young people who lived in the Haight district, specifically in the 1960s. By definition, counterculture is the culture and lifestyle of those people, especially young, who reject or oppose the dominant values and behavior of society. This era was filled with young people who drummed to their own beat and set out to live as wild and free spirits in society.

     Due to the dominance that young, free-spirited hippies had over the area in past years, I feel as though the vibe given off by the surrounding signage is that of carefree peace and love. This correlates with the history of the district and the “free love, drugs and rock and roll” attitude. The signage definitely contributes to my understanding of what happened in this area. By looking down the street at the different shops, works of graffiti, and psychedelic colors; it is almost as if you can imagine yourself in another time era altogether. It’s almost as if you have been transported back to the 1960s. The sight of hippies, or even the risen Beatles probably wouldn’t startle too many people walking down this street. It’s a place where nothing is normal, everything is accepted, and history lives on. 

Thought Paper #2

     It’s almost humorous how completely absentminded we are so much of the time. After living somewhere for a grand total of fifteen years or even after walking the same sidewalk block a dozen times, we think we know an area like the back of our hand. However, the majority of us are guilty of being so removed from what is going on around us that we fail to notice many of the details that make life so exciting and beautiful. I’ve come to terms with the fact that you can always find something new in even the most familiar of places. Next time you walk the same path to the cafeteria that you’ve done over a hundred times, I encourage you to peel your eyes of the sidewalk, remove your headphones, and take special note of all that surrounds you. I am almost certain that your eyes will wander to sights you’ve never noticed before; a small piece of graffiti on the rim of a trashcan or maybe a flyer for a trip to Great America pasted in the window of Phelan Hall.  

     Even though I can’t exactly consider myself a long-term resident of the area, I can say that I’ve done my fair share of exploring around thus far. One of the areas that I have found the most fascinating is the well-known Haight Street district. Sometimes I take walks by myself, other times with friends. Whether I’m out and about on my own or with a group of chattering friends, there is always something that I seem to notice that I’ve never seen before.

     Last Monday, Morgan and I walked about the city blocks surrounding the campus area, and we came across something new to our eyes. We noticed a beautiful mural along the side of a house. Even though it covered the entire side of the house and I had surely walked down that same block at least a dozen times, I had somehow failed to notice it before.

     Upon looking closer at this mural, the details became more apparent and I began to really appreciate the unbelievable work that must of have been put into it. The artist, David Wills, did an incredible job at using colors to focus the attention of a passerby on the white bird in the middle and then out to the scenery that surrounds it. This mural was probably created within the last fifteen years due to the condition and vibrancy that it withholds. It seems as though this particular mural reaches out to all generations. The beauty and simplicity can be appreciated and grasped by any and all ages. I don’t feel as though the artist is targeting a specific audience, but rather all common people that pass by the house.

     This mural definitely brings a remote, artistic view into the neighborhood in which it lies. A hundred years ago, the same house was most likely still beautiful, but it was certainly no more unique than the thousands of other homes standing in San Francisco. The mural adds an individual twist to the house that is not seen in many of the surrounding areas.

     My hope is that I learn to appreciate all of the little things in life that many other people pass by without ever noticing. I don’t want to be one of those absentminded, oblivious human beings that seem to be all too common in today’s society. I want to read the landscape wherever I go, to really see what lies before me and not just take a glance. I want to notice a massive mural on the side of a house the first time I pass it and not have to wait twelve times before my eyes are aware of the beauty that encompasses my every day life. 

Thought Paper #1

Every solitary morning, usually at an hour when most sane human beings are still deep in slumber, my coach asks us, “Where do we live?” Without thinking twice about the answer, we all respond in one voice, “paradise!” We don’t say this each and every day because we know it’s what she wants to hear; we say it because we really mean it.

     I have lived in this city for approximately twenty-six days, one hour, and thirty-four minutes. I can truthfully say that, although I am a newcomer, these past twenty-six days and odd number of minutes have been purely beautiful. I have seen so many spectacular things, people, and places. Every day is a new adventure, another chance to explore and see something new.

     I am never satisfied with what I have seen or with what I have done. There is always more to do, deeper crevices to look into. I am ecstatic to be living in the “greatest city in the world,” and to explore all that it has to offer.

     By the end of the semester, I want to know this city. I want to be an expert on the Muni System, run every trail and square inch of Golden Gate Park, taste a latte from at least thirty different coffee shops, and eat as many different kinds of ethnic foods as I can manage to find. I want to be the one in a group of friends who always knows which way to go and can always point out interesting and unique pieces of signage. I want to really understand the people and culture of every area and neighborhood in the city. I want this city to really feel like home, and not just a place where I go to school.

     Relating to the people and culture of different neighborhoods and areas in the city is a big part of learning about varying forms of signage. Anthropology very directly deals with the science of humans and their work. Since understanding people and culture is such a big part of signage, anthropology is quite literally the study of signage.

     Throughout this semester, I hope to obtain a great deal of knowledge of the anthropology and art of the city. I am so excited to embark on our many adventures as a class and explore things that many people may not even know exist.