I chose the artwork on a billboard that said America in which all of the letters were crossed out except “ME” because it stood out to me the most. At first sight, I only saw the letters “m’ and “e” which automatically signaled that there was a hidden message behind the other letters just being crossed off. The spacing between each letter is identical and the empty background outside of the letters gives more emphasis to the words. Delving deeper, the “X’s” on each letter except the “ME” are all slightly different shapes. The word “ME” inside of “America” brings up a tension between the two. I believe it’s referencing a personal identity in the grand scheme of a national identity, which can be hard to navigate, leading to internal conflict. The X’s which cross out the letters can show how people feel excluded in America due to external factors relating to one’s identity. The font of the word almost seems as if it’s hand drawn and the yellow outline of each letter makes the word stand out even more. It’s geometric shaped which gives this billboard a unique appearance. There also seems to be a very thin line connecting each letter. Although it’s barely noticeable, it signifies how America connects people. The line curves through each letter, joining different parts at varied heights. The point where the line touches every letter is a focal point because it has a bolder mark, bringing the connection to life. A noteworthy feature is the connection between the letters A through E, then it ends, but it starts back separately from R to the last A. A detail like this symbolizes differences in a general idea, which is our country in this case. My experience with the High Line and this particular piece showed me how much different works there are, and how people express their thoughts through art. 

The High Line elevates public space through displaying artwork for people everyday, and it represents New York City as a major destination where people visually express themselves. Urban development and public artwork are in sync here because the infrastructure is developed yet the history and artwork are preserved and open to the public eye. The guided tour really helped me to understand the High Line as a whole and its background. For example, I knew it was a train track but I didn’t know it transported produce. I learnt that it was nearly destroyed but then it became a public park instead which is fascinating because of how important, socially and culturally it is today. In the documentary, it was said that you’re able to see the Statue of Liberty from one direction and you can also see the Empire State Building from the other direction of the High Line. This is incredible because it has the sights of two of the greatest attractions in New York. Art is also seen as you walk the 1.45 mile public park, combining amazing surrounding urban development with skilled pieces of art.