Thursday, September 18, 2008
Street Art Vendors - Forms of Transportation
This week Alexa and I decided to focus on the ways of how the artists transport their merchandise. We went out around 10 am to document. As you can see, the artists use carts to transport their carefully packaged items and foldable tables. Some artists were already set up by the time we got there. Most of the artists came from 10am to 11am. None of them seemed to be in a rush to set up - and alot of them were cheerfully talking to their neighbors while they started up their business for the day.
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4 comments:
were you able to document the "path" they took to get there? or the ritual of unpacking and setting up itself? whether everyone uses the same techniques (within or without union square)? an interesting aspect is the details of these homemade "vehicles"--how they create makeshift solutions for the problem of transporting and displaying their wares, how the desire to keep it manageable and mobile influences what their display looks like and how it's set up.
and what do they do in bad weather?!
i am unable to post my own post at the moment because on my home computer my "javascript is enabled" so for the time being i will comment under my partner, naomi's >>>>
around 7:30 pm this evening i witnessed the disassembling of the vendors stands in union square. it was quite surprising to me but everyone (aside from the bicycle lady) seemed to have the disassemblement of their booths down to a choreographed science. everyone seemed to find a way to fold up their belongings into an easy-to-carry package of some sort. i woiuld say that i witnessed about half of the people go to the storage locker on 5th and 13th, and the other half, (quite a few of which i asked) seemed to be heading toward the east village. The bicycle lady, too, was heading to the east village but instead of walking like most people, she was biking. and instead of having her work put away in an orderly fashion, her pictures were thrown in garbage bags and straddled over her back as she TRIED to bike away. those who didnt bike or walk seemed to get on the subway at the southwest corner. everyone really did a good job of cleaning up after themselves and no garbage seemed to be left over. conversation during packing up was minimal, but i would not say that the vendors seemed eager to go home, rather, slightly tired.
I'm really interested in those who store their merchandise in storage areas on 5th and 13th st. because that is the block I am focusing on for reccesitation.That area has such an interesting combonation of people, students, tourists, parents and children, construction workers, and now street vendors which I wasn't aware of. Where exactly are these storage areas? Could you get some photos of what they look like inside? How much do they cost to rent? Do they share them with others?
This research really makes me admire these folks so much more, they seem to do so much work, they must find it worth it if they come back day after day.
In response to Denise's question - most of them don't even go out to sell if there is a hint of rain. In case of unpredicted rain they carry shower curtains or other plastic sheets to cover and wrap their merchandise.
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