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Austin WeIrD!

Keep

Austin WeIrD!

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AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Fall 2008

Keep

Austin

WeIrD! Journal of Images

Mackenzie Smith

A R T 1 3 0 1 – P A U L A K I N G

Downtown Austin

I have lived in Austin, Texas my whole life and rarely have I had the opportunity to

venture downtown and take a look at the true beauty it has to offer. When I first read about

this assignment I was set on choosing “Night Light” for my topic, but when I went to take a

picture of the capital I realized that there is so much more to downtown that I would have ever

thought and I wanted to share its true beauty and uniqueness with everyone. People from all

over the Nation talk about Austin and all that it has to offer so I decided it was time that I

take a deeper look.

I decided to make my first adventure to downtown focused around the capitol. After

all, Austin is the capitol of our state! I had always heard that the capitol is beautifully

lighted at night so I wanted to see if I could capture the lighted vision using only a digital

camera and my desire to explore. As you can see by the picture I was able to shoot, the only

real way to take a picture of the capitol is by standing in the middle of the street. Since its

location is set around 15th and Congress, this proved to be a bit more difficult than I

imagined. Still, I was in awe of the amazing architecture of the capitol and how the many

lights around it clearly defined the massive sky above it. For the first time in my life, I

understood why my grandfather, who is a photographer, has always spoken of the essence of

downtown Austin and the beauty of the capitol. As I went on my way I slowly ventured down

Congress Avenue and headed toward 6th street where I was immediately filled with crazy

ideas for photos, from an electric sign for a tattoo shop, to a bold and unique sign for a

theatre. There were so many wonderful and beautiful opportunities for a photo. However, I

knew if I wanted to capture a real essence of downtown Austin I would have to come back

during the day to see the city streets from an entirely different perspective. Before I headed

home for the evening I was fortunate enough to stumble on to a group of bike riders

performing in the parking garage of a bank. It was very exciting to watch and even more so

to capture through the lens.

When I returned downtown the next day I was so excited to continue with my

adventure on discovering Austin and everything it had to offer. I started on 6th street and

decided that I would make my rounds. It was a very different experience in the light. There

were so many people on the streets that I was constantly being distracted, but at the same

time I was very amused. From Esthers Follies to the scenery paintings on the walls, I thought

about all the opportunities in front of me. I first came upon The Driskill Hotel, a sight I will

never forget because each piece of the building was designed so perfectly. It truly was an

amazing sight to see. I had heard so much about the hotel, but had never had the opportunity

to explore it. I wondered inside and asked the concierge for permission to take pictures and

when he surprisingly said yes I immediately took that as my golden ticket to explore the

entire hotel. As I was walking away he gave me a brochure and said I should read it before

continuing. Anyone who has lived in Austin long probably knows about the haunting

stories of The Driskill. The idea of it being a haunted hotel did spook me a bit, but now I had

an entire brochure that spoke about why it got that reputation. I decided not to read it until

after I was out of the hotel and safely back in the comforts of my own home. Oddly enough, I

was able to push ghostly thoughts out of head as I began to explore the incredibly beautiful

hotel where the attention to detail was not overlooked in one single area. I was in awe of the

lines in the windows and doors, the ceilings decorated with enormous glass arrangements to

take place of chandeliers, the elegance of the staircases and the overwhelming sense of this is

how the other half must live. I knew as I walked out the doors that it would be years before I

would be able to live like that, but the appreciation I took away from its beauty, I felt would

hold me over until then.

There were many other sites and oddities throughout the downtown area that I am

sharing through this project. If I had to sum up downtown Austin I would say that it is

unique, beautiful, busy, and at times sad. There were homeless people on every corner,

especially on 6th street and as I passed them by I wondered why no one was helping them.

There were rows and rows of bars where people were beginning to pile in to celebrate the end of

their days and there were some people that seemed to be going nowhere, just wondering around

like me trying to explore what Austin has to offer.

LiNeS

The Driskill Hotel is a very famous and haunted hotel

located in Austin. The lines demonstrated in this picture

are from the door to the entrance of the hotel.

There are many styles of lines demonstrated in this

picture, from vertical to horizontal, they all come together

to make a beautiful sight.

CoLoR

This picture was taken from the inside of The Driskill

Hotel. Throughout the hotel you can often find designs

much like this one located on the ceiling in place of a

chandelier.

This glass stain painting was among the prettiest because

of the use of color that was displayed.

ShApE

While driving down 6th street there are several things that

will catch your eye, like the sign for Esthers Follies. The

shape of each letter and the whole word combined offer

such a site for the eyes. It is obvious in this picture that

the word is not a flat billboard, but instead a two

dimensional shape.

MaSS

This sculpture stands alone on the busy sidewalk

to the street of Congress. It is a very interesting

sculpture because of its mass and the location of

its presence.

TeXtUrE

This picture was also taken from The Driskill Hotel. It is

said that this design and texture for a ceiling top is a

replica for the olden days. Most buildings used to have

ceilings of copper and offer a design similar to this one.

VaLuE

The city of Austin is full of lights and they become even

clearer at night. This photo is of a Tattoo shop located right

off of 6th street. The value of the color shown through the

words and the bird are only truly depicted because of the

time of day.

SpAcE

The Capital is one of the biggest attractions to Austin.

The unique design of the Capital clearly defines the

massive amount of space completely surrounding it.

~ UnItY ~

This sculpture is entitled „Vibrancy‟ and it is used to

represent the uniqueness of Austin. Looking at the unity

of color and design on first glance the beauty is unclear,

but when you take a deeper look you can see that the

guitar stands for the true beauty of downtown Austin

and all its crazy and fast speed life.

VaRiEtY

The beautiful architectural design used on this amazing

building is located in downtown Austin and can be seen

from almost anywhere. The variety of the design and the

shape of each corner are the factors that help to make this

building so appealing to the eye.

.

BaLaNcE

This picture is of a window located on the outside of The

Driskill Hotel. The angle in this picture helps to

demonstrate how perfectly balanced the window is.

eMpHAsIs

This drawing is located on the side of a building in deep

downtown Austin. I was driving by on my way to the capital

when it caught my eye. At first glance you immediately see

the word „Cash‟ because it is emphasized through the white

letters and the black outline, but when you take a deeper look

you notice that Johnny Cash is painted two times behind the

word to form the background.

Scale

This drawing is also located downtown, but right off of

6th street. There are several cases where scale is shown,

from the buffalo up front to the ones in the back and even

the cactuses that are close compared to the ones further

back by the car. I find it so interesting that a flat

painting can have so many dimensions.

RhYtHm

When I first arrived downtown, I immediately went into

the Driskill Hotel and fell in love with their grand

staircase and the rhythm of each beautiful step as one

connects to the other in style and grace.

MoVeMeNt

Leaving downtown Austin I stumbled across a hangout

spot for local bikers. The movement of each biker as he

attempts a new trick is easily captured in this wedding.

Index of Images

Line. Driskill Hotel. Austin. Texas. November 4, 2008

Color. Driskill Hotel. Austin. Texas. November 4, 2008

Shape. Esthers Follies – 6th Street. Austin. Texas. November 4, 2008

Mass. Downtown – Congress. Austin. Texas. November 2, 2008

Texture. Driskill Hotel. Austin. Texas. November 4, 2008

Value. Downtown – 6th Street. Austin. Texas. November 3, 2008

Space. Downtown – Capital off Congress. Austin. Texas. November 2, 2008

Unity. Downtown – 6th Street. Austin. Texas. November 3, 2008

Variety. Downtown. Austin. Texas. November 4, 2008

Balance. Driskill Hotel. Austin. Texas. November 4, 2008

Emphasis. Downtown. Austin. Texas. November 3, 2008

Scale. Downtown – 6th Street. Austin. Texas. November 4, 2008

Rhythm. Driskill Hotel. Austin. Texas. November 4, 2008

Movement. Downtown – Parking Garage off 0f 6th Street. Austin. Texas.

November 2, 2008