anna pinkas
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2011
Google maps, drawing, after effects.
Blocks are the essential denominator of New York’s urban planning – past, present and future. As early as 1811 the Commissioner’s Plan delineated the Island’s complete set of rectangles. The land it divided was still vastly unoccupied, however the 2,028 blocks were already being laid-out and numbered. The perdurability of the grid itself stands in strong contrast with the constant shift it contains. While Google Maps constitutes yet another representation of the grid, it’s “bird-eye view” emphasizes another way of considering the quintessential unit – through the mutability, disparate arrangements, textures, and tints of its buildings.This Project aims to capture the aesthetic and poetic qualities of the block, embracing Google Maps inherent potential for abstraction.