Define: Ordered Chaos

Ordered chaos, an interior design technique generally used for pieces of art, knick knacks, or collective structures. Used primarily as an arrangement technique. This can also be applied to science: under the right conditions, chaos spontaneously evolves into a lockstep pattern. This definition can still be used in the interior design technique as shown in…

The Impression Given by Bali Hai

Stepping into San Diego’s Bali Hai restaurant an instant message is thrown at you– that of vacation. It was clear that this restaurant was Hawaiian themed complete with tikis and bamboo umbrellas. These were the most obvious signs of encompassing the vacation vibe. Alongside this were aspects of placement and location. The inside space was…

Define: Materialism

Materialism, material (n.) + ism. Material, the matter from which something is made. Ism, a specific, identifiable practice or philosophy. Word first formed in 1748. “Philosophy that nothing exists except matter” (Harper, 2017). Modern concept: the idea that that which is material (i.e. purchasable, tangible, “stuff”, “things”) is valued highly and over things of spiritual value…

How Can an Advertisement Tell a Future?

Walking past the corner of 19th and Broadway there are an array of beautiful pink bedrooms, boudoirs, dining rooms, and living rooms on display for ABC Carpet and Homes. They are strategically arranged to show just enough of “living in” and just enough of newness. In some way, this advertisement serves as a way for…

Define: Font

Font as defined by Google: “a set of type of one particular face and size”. Font as defined by a stranger on 5th avenue: “the way you type words into Microsoft Word, you know, like your style and the style of the words you’re trying to send out.. kind of like a subjective message.” Font…

Self Expression in the Form of Clothing

What can clothes tell others about an individual? Do dark colors correspond with an edgy personality? Do patterns correspond with a vibrant person? What people choose from a variety of clothes at any old Forever 21 will later be used as a “second skin”. By this, what is meant is that clothes express an outer…

An Analysis of a Wall of Art

“The biggest outlaws in this town…might be the KEY to saving it. The Black Keys.” Art has always been the most effective form of the communication of the self. What is most interesting is too analyze how this applies to someone’s room. At an apartment in the Upper East Side, there are a wide range…

Tattoo Stigma & How to Defeat Them

Currently, at the New York Historical Society there is an exhibit on display titled “Tattooed New York”. Righteously named, visitors can find a great many displays of tattoos and their history in New York spread out along the walls. You can find people of all ages and walks of life coming into the exhibit and…

Korilla: the Restaurant and the Art Mirage

Every day I have passed by this tall building with tiger stripes paint. I turn the corner walking away from Astor Place and towards the corner of Saint Marks Place and 3rd Ave and I look out to see massive orange and black stripes. As Lewis Caroll once said “curiouser and curiouser” I got as…

Define: Art

Art as defined by Google’s definitions: the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically represented in a visual form such as a painting or sculpture, producing works and pieces to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. Art as defined by me: the use of colors or noncolor to represent…

A Love Story: the Subway and the Bench

In a way the subway is the epitome of a culmination of objects creating a single, whole atmospheric vibe. You have your clearly labeled signs signaling locations, your wide empty spaces meant for an abundance of New Yorkers, tourists, etc. alike, your trains with sleek metal frames and bright directional signs all pointing towards a…

Think Coffee = Think Hip

Walking along 3rd Ave, a bright neon sign flashed by my eye and I immediately stopped in my tracks (to the annoyance of the New Yorkers behind me) and stared into a neon sign stating think coffee. The first thoughts into my head were “this place looks cool”, “should I go inside?”, and “this would be…