NERSESSOVA, IRINA. “Tapestry Of Space: Domestic Architecture And Underground Communities In Margaret Morton’s Photography Of A Forgotten New York.” is an article about New York space usage and restrictions imposed and legislated.
Irina Nersessova used photography to document conditions and utilization of particular cites in New York City. The photographer tries to show the human connection to architectural space. “This self-representational architecture is a visualization of human connection to space”. (2)
The photographer focused on Homelessness and architectural space to emphasize the extremes of psychogeography. New York City has residents who live outside the normal life style and are identified by titles of Homeless, and the poor people. The homeless in particular gravitate to down town sites for food and shelter. The homeless who live on the streets build structures for shelter and security. These temporary shelters are often made of cardboard and found materials. There are subdivisions within the homeless community of New York City. Some people seek refuge in the city owned facilities. These facilities offer food, sleeping space, and security from the cold and predators.
Irina Nersessva the photographer focuses on the Homeless population who build structures and use existing architectural structures for living space. The homeless population who live outdoors utilize a variety of space conditions and convert them to sustain oneself. For example some space can be well hidden from the general public and authorities, and provide long-term availability. The homeless will use space in high visibility areas, aware that time is limited in this space. The general population and the authorities frown on the high visibility occupation of space by the homeless. The homeless population that maintains invisibility appreciates longevity and peace of mind.
Figure 1 Fragile Dwelling by New York: Aperture, 2000
“The person who will take the time to build for himself
is the person who still has an interest in himself. —
Douglas, resident of the East River encampment” (1)
One type of space that offers “term parking” is New York City’s “The Tunnel”. The following is a quotation from Margaret Morton’s photographs of New York’s homeless “The Tunnel, Morton captures the underground society of people with a collection of photographs and interviews. Her photography confronts public unfamiliarity with the transitory lives of the homeless in 1990s New York.” (2)
The article by Nersessva delves deep into the position of balance between the Homeless, poor people and the establishment. The composition of the establishment are the general public (housed) and the administration. A group that represented a social group movement in 1957-1972 called Situationist International. The Situationist International movement wanted to eliminate the gap between art and life and focus are on everyday life inclusively. The homeless and poor are talked around, ignored, hidden, and built around as in architectural exclusion.
The Tunnel is home for some people. They build homes and join a community with others. They make group decisions and help build homes. They all experience the psychological effects of temporary life. They have one common thread “survival” that binds these relationships.
Figure 2 Fragile Dwelling, New York: Aperture, 2000 (1)
“You may drive by here and see that they are shabby,
but I think that if you look again you see this person took
the time to build a place that could be comfortable for himself.
If you saw it up close, you could see that we’d turned it into a home.” (1)
Psychogeography attempts to consider the psychoses of the general population as well as the psyche of the displaced in a collective rethinking of New York City’s description of Built Environment. Public Space and NY attractions have conflict with the homeless and poor sections of town. Authorities will route major traffic to avoid low income, poor areas. The absence of traffic has a direct relationship to strangling the low income communities. The homeless, poor are subject to eviction at regular intervals and seasonally. The tourist and the residents are considered consumers and arterial corridors are designed to skirt the poor communities. The homeless, poor are not considered consumers and therefore advertisements are not directed to them. When there are re-grade projects or new construction the homeless, poor are not informed or considered even for relocation consideration. This group offers no consumer value and they become invisible and appreciate very few consumer rewards.
The article by Irina Nersessva continues to describe the Cities expanding need for public space. The war with the homeless intensifies after the closing of “The Tunnel”.
Works Cited
- Margaret Morton, Fragile Dwelling (New York: Aperture, 2000).
- NERSESSOVA, IRINA. Tapestry Of Space: Domestic Architecture And Underground Communities In Margaret Morton’s Photography Of A Forgotten New York.
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