Schenley Sights

1. When you arrive in the space. Think about the words that come to mind when you take in the scene in front of you? Why do they come to mind?

My initial reaction to the space was a feeling of serenity as my eyes brushed past all the trees and across the hill, followed quickly by anxiety once I began exploring the buildings on the horizon and thinking about everything I should be doing at that moment, before eventually melting back into the tranquility of the park.

2. What are the objects you see directly in front of you? Name each of them in your mind.

The most prominent objects were the road cutting across the scene, the trees surrounding the edges, and the buildings in the background.

3. Imagine there are lines drawn between all of objects or things in the space? How are they connected? Are they organized?

There seem to be two cuts across the horizon, one made by the buildings and another by the trees in front of them. Then, the trees on the side as well as the two roads all converge in the very center of the scene.

4. Close your eyes for a minute and open them again. Where do your eyes go to? Why do you think they land in this location?

My eyes landed right where the two roads intersect. I suspect this has to do with there being a break in the trees at that point, so there is a lot of contrast with the surrounding area, as well as it being in the center of my vision and the movement of the car along the lines which converge here.

5. Close your eyes for a minute and open them again. What are the colors that you see best or appeal to you most? Why is that?

The red leaves on the trees are extremely prominent to me. This is likely because the extremely vibrant red contrasts the rest of the scene so much.

6. Look around. Is there anything you can’t see or can’t see well?

 Interestingly, even though the road is a major contribution to the shape of the scene, it's actually mostly obscured by trees.

7. Look around. What are the textures that you see? How do the feel to you?

There were three main textures, the green healthy grass and leaves which looked soft, the brown dying grass and leaves which seemed brittle and itchy, and the cement buildings which appeared smooth and cold.

8. Let your mind wander. Where does it go? What do you think about and how is that related to the space around you?

As my mind wandered, mostly I thought about all the work I have to get done. While that's fairly normal, I think the scene did contribute to it. The nature is calm and tranquil, trees don't have homework or projects to worry about, but as you explore the scene your drawn to cars moving swiftly down the road and the buildings in the background and you're reminded of everything you are expected to do. The nature and buildings almost juxtapose each other, heightening the feelings that each creates.

9. If you attention shifts, what has it landed on? Why do you think your eye moved to this location?

After initially viewing the scene, my eyes mostly explored in a fairly normal front to back motion. However, movement seemed to be a major factor in drawing my attention. The cars did this to some extent, but after a while I sort of tuned them out. However, whenever a flock of birds would leave a tree, or someone would walk across the hill, my eyes would jump to them. Later on I even noticed that a tower in the distance was flashing, and when the wind picked up I spotted a flag around one of the buildings.