Blog Assignment #2: Image Analysis

This photograph was taken on the top of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. I was able to capture an aerial view of the Champs-Elysees during a busy time of the day. Traffic can be seen on and off the road during this peak time of the day. The Champs-Elysees is considered to be one of the most famous streets in the world. This avenue is approximately 1.25 miles long and is currently the most expensive strip of real estate in all of Europe. Few people actually live on this street because rent is so high. The avenue is full of luxury stores and global chain stores. Rent is generally higher on the north side of the street because more sunlight is exposed (ironically the sun is shining on the north side). Symmetry and balance can be seen through the urban infrastructures and the green landscape bordering it. An illusion is created by using a vanishing point and tricking the eye. It appears that the road is getting smaller and smaller but in reality it remains the same size. Shading and lighting creates a strong contrast between the foreground and background.

I inserted slogans from some of the most prestigious stores located on this avenue. The real estate is estimated to be 1.5 million dollars a year per 1,100 square feet. Looking at it through these lenses creates a business like perspective. These slogans are recognized globally and, as discussed in class, a simple slogan or image can tell an entire story without any additional text. This street creates more revenue than any other street in the world and is the financial foundation for some of the most powerful companies in the world. We are constantly targets of advertisements whether we like it or not. The black and white in the picture represents how we tend to neglect natural beauty and focus on superficial things instead. The Parisian square pictured above is a timeless architectural work, but most people who visit the square recognize it for the collection of modern-day stores that are located there. 'The death of the author is the birth of the reader." (Barthes 1967)

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