READING COMPREHENSION 7

Migrant Mother Nipomo, California [1936]


For many, this picture of Florence Owens Thompson at age 32 represents the Great Depression. She was the mother of 7 and she struggled to survive with her kids catching birds and picking fruits. She and her family had left Oklahoma in 1925, before the Depression. The 30s made their situation worse. She and the family were following the migrant trail moving from place to place as crops became ready for harvest. Dorothea Lange took the picture after Florence sold her tent to buy food for her children. She made the first page of major newspapers all over the country and changed people’s conception about migrants.
From looking at this black and white photo, the first thing I noticed is how different types of lines (soft, medium, heavy, extra heavy) are created all over the picture to define texture, material, emotion, balance of light and dark. Soft lines as well as medium and heavy lines are visible on the child's cloth located on left. Heavier lines are visible on the woman's clothing, this heavier lines create that emotional expression that is the central focal point on the photo.  
Contrast is very very strong in this image, specially because the original photo was taken in black and white, so the light and dark is very noticeable. The woman's face is what capture light the most, part of her arm captures light as well as the child's neck on the left. Black and white photos provide more contrast than colored photos and are easier when working with light and shadow. One of the ways I see balance on this image is that the shape created by the woman is much more larger than the shape created by the the two children. The woman is centrally centered on the image, therefor creating a much more larger shape than the child on the right being close to the edge of the image. Unity is seen by the the different textures on the image, clothing is much more lighter texture than the background which I'm not really sure what the material is. 


Analyzing the Study for the Heart of the Rose by Elihu Vedder [1923 - 1936] one gets a sensation of feminism. Women are naturally attracted and conquered by roses, and this image represents the appreciation of nature as it relates to the nudity of the natural body lines of the woman posing in the middle of the rose. 
In architecture and design this could be linked to  Massey's statement " From the 19th century the two areas had been distinctly separated, with the feminine sphere of the home regarded as a temple of comfort and moral respectability, a refuge from the workplace" (Massey pg. 197) Architecture sometimes could be seen feminine with different textures, materials, artifacts, etc. 
In the mean while, Le' Corbusier was starting to incorporate new techniques in modern buildings as the era of architecture and design were changing. "Fifth, the villa savoy was provided with a roof garden" (Roth pg. 532) These were the beginnings of sustainable design in the 1950's. Becoming green is a high priority for urban planners. The environmental and aesthetic benefits to cities is the prime motivation. It was calculated that the temperature in Tokyo could be lowered by 0.11–0.84 °C if 50% of all available rooftop space were planted with greenery. This would lead to a savings of approximately 100 million yens per day in the city's electricity bill. The importance of roof garden structures is not only to make the building look "attractable" but more like to make the structure environmentally designed. 
Joe's cafe in London and the Josephs Shops, incorporated industrial materials like aluminum and tension steel cables" (Massey pg. 201) This era of design was completely when a variety of materials were starting to be incorporated in interiors of structures. The steel cables are now used in stair rails to provide a sense of stability and innovation in design. These steel cables also provide a sense of tension which is what most engineers use  in bridge design.