Discourses of the City
by The modern metropolis emerged in the 19th century. This was a dramatic social change, so cities caught the imagination and became a key focus for artists, writers and filmmakers.
It has been suggested that we frequently become aware of cities through depictions of them. We build up a picture of particular cities through different cultural representations. For example, we might have an idea of what New York is like without ever having been there. We encounter representations of the city and these shape our perception. So a city like New York is not just a real space; it’s also an imaginative construction.
So taking New York as an example, what do you think are the key texts or images that have created an image of that city?
- Novels like The Catcher in the Rye and The Great Gatsby
- Martin Scorsese films, which explore the dark side of New York
- Lou Reed songs, which present a very similar depiction
- Woody Allen films
- Marvel comics like Spiderman
All of these things create particular images of New York. They circulate within culture and shape our idea of the city. This is known as discourse theory. In discourse theory, a picture is gradually built up, but it disguises its sources. The various origins of the picture remain unclear and the picture itself constantly changes as more images accumulate and modify it.
We’ve looked at the work of Georg Grosz. Grosz moved to America to escape persecution by the Nazis. He painted Lower Manhattan (1934). This represents his first view of America from the Atlantic. This shows a move away from Expressionism, but it’s still non-realistic. Monumental skyscrapers rear up out of the sea. The buildings are jumbled together, suggesting a hive of energy. New York is portrayed as a cold, inhumane environment, almost like a fortress. The steeliness of the blues and the smokiness of the blacks make it rather foreboding.
The same kind of representation can be found in the literature of the period. The French writer Louis-Ferdinand Céline wrote a novel called Journey to the End of the Night (1932) in which the main character travels around the world and has a series of violent misadventures. He arrives in New York and is overwhelmed by the awesome vision of the skyscrapers and the crowds. Journey to the End of the Night presents Céline’s response to Manhattan.
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