Two Street Lamps and a Lion

Color one: Dark Green

Object one: Trees near Chicago Art Museum

9:20

I see really big, gorgeous green trees. They about as tall as the Chicago Art Museum building. There is some kind of tent being set up between the trees. One of the workers putting up the tent winked at me; this made me extremely uncomfortable. He was wearing a Cub’s 2016 World Series blue jacket and a cubs hat. Other than the workers there were few people on that side of Michigan Avenue. Also, right next to the trees is the Chicago Art Museum, which had baskets of greenery attached to it. It is a green leaf with purple and pink flowers in it. It makes the building much lighter compared to the beige stone.

Object two: Lions outside Chicago Art Museum

9:25

My next object was the infamous Lions outside of the Chicago Art Museum. People often think of these when they think of Chicago and it is easy to see why. They are strong and fierce, but also lighthearted with their green color. This area of Michigan Avenue is usually extremely loud but, because it is raining, there are less people and traffic. Today’s noise is manageable and you can hear the birds chirping from the trees I just passed. At the actual museum building, people are huddled in the enclaves of the building trying to stay dry. They laugh and talk loudly and I wonder if they know it will most likely rain or at least be misty all day; there is no escaping getting wet.

Color Two: Deep Orange

9:30

Object one: Michigan Avenue Street Lamp

On this strip of Michigan Avenue there are special street lamps which I have never noticed before. They are a cluster of small balls with bulbs in them that glow orange. Though I have noticed the street lamps glow orange in most of the city, I never noticed that the ones on Michigan Avenue were ball shaped. I am now on the side of Michigan Avenue across from the Art Museum. This side has a lot more people, though still not as many as a bright sunny day would. I notice that mist is hanging above the street lamps, which was a cool sight to see as it made it kind of spooky and it is October.

9:45

Object Two: Wabash and Jackson Street Lamp

This Street lamp seems almost normal. This one has the typical bulb shape, but there are two instead of one. This style is much more frequent throughout the city and is something most people never notice. This intersection seems closed in as the L is right above me. There are puddles of water by the crosswalks that gather and make it hard to cross the street. Everyone looks like they are in a rush to get out of the rain and mist except for the person walking in front of me. He is walking so slow which, admittedly, is extremely frustrating for me. For a block I cannot get around him because people are passing me on the side but I eventually pass him. This area now seems frustrating to me.

A map is a visual that includes the streets and landmarks of a given area. Krygier & Wood define a map as a proposition. They claim propositions are statements “affirmed or denied its predicate”. Knowing this, they claim this is what a map does, it affirms that things are there. A map has some relation from the world it depicts but it has a detached view. Most maps do not necessarily show who is in a given area and what their beliefs are. A map also cannot show a vibe. All cities have vibes; for example Chicago’s is touristy yet sophisticated and playful. New York’s vibe, depending on what part you are in is also sophisticated and in Detroit, in my opinion, the vibe is scary and off putting. None of this can be shown or felt on a map, only described. Maps lack feeling and vibes, but we make them to lessen our fear of the unknown. If we know where everything is, we ultimately will feel more safe and relaxed in a city.