THE ICONIC TAPESTRY OF TIMES SQUARE: A MICROCOSM OF NEW YORK’S ENERGY AND DIVERSITY

Siegfried Rubbert Lrps

Nestled in the heart of Manhattan, Times Square stands as a beacon of energy, lights, and urban vibrancy. Often referred to as “The Crossroads of the World,” this iconic square is synonymous with the spirit of New York City and is more than just a geographic intersection; it symbolizes cultural diversity and entertainment and is a testament to the relentless dynamism that defines the city that never sleeps.

Discover how our member Siegfried Rubbert experiences this magic and how he captured the beauties of the square in his pictures.

Times Square’s history traces back to the late 19th century when it was known as Longacre Square. Its transformation began in 1904 when the New York Times erected its headquarters, and the square was renamed. Since then, it has undergone various phases of evolution, reflecting the city’s changing dynamics. During our stays in New York, I had to go there, feel the square, absorb and experience the atmosphere.

Most recently, from September 29 to October 6, 2023, my wife and I were in New York for a week, and since Times Square was only an 8-minute walk from our hotel, I took the opportunity on two evenings to capture this place and its hustle and bustle.

Pictures from New York City could fill an entire e-magazine. Still, in the following article, I would like to focus only on this one place and “illuminate” it from different perspectives - after all, this word seems almost predestined for Times Square, especially after dark.

After a brief outline from the “history book” (Wikipedia) of the square, I would like to focus on three areas:

• The place, rather documentary

• The people I met there

• The abstract approach to this square

So come along and follow my words and images of this unique place in New York!

THE PLACE, RATHER DOCUMENTARY

New York Times Square is often referred to in the USA as The Crossroads of the World, The Center of the Universe, The Heart of the Great White Way - the latter is a term for the theatre district around Broadway - or The Heart of the World.

With the advent of the first television sets in the 1950s, customers often stayed away from the major theatres. Gradually, the theatres had to close, and the buildings stood empty.

The vacant buildings were initially occupied by dimly lit cinemas showing B-movies or poorly produced films that barely made any money. At the end of the 1960s, this also changed, and the cinemas became striptease bars or porn cinemas, especially along 42nd Street.

With them came sex stores, tacky souvenir stores, dingy motels and fast food outlets, as well as prostitutes, drug dealers and pickpockets; brawls and muggings were the order of the day.

In 1976, the New York police declared the area around Times Square one of the city’s most dangerous. Locals avoided the area, but it was still popular with tourists.

In the mid-1980s, it was decided to redevelop the square. The big project began by organizing a special police patrol and garbage collection service for Times Square and removing anything “dodgy” from the square. After big companies such as MTV, Sony, Vogue, and others re-established themselves in the square, the former hotel chains and theatres also returned. New York City’s building regulations stipulate that new buildings must have brightly lit billboards to preserve the familiar image of Times Square. A lighting unit, the LUTS (Lighting Unit for Times Square), was even established specifically for this purpose.

In the summer of 2009, Times Square was reopened with a new road system after some reconstruction work. The only continuously passable Street is now 7th Avenue. Times Square was redesigned as a pedestrian zone. Broadway became car-free from 42 Street upwards.

TIMES SQUARE: A VARIETY OF IMPRESSIONS

Times Square in New York is not just a place but an experience that manifests itself in multiple adjectives. In just two evenings in this fascinating square, I could experience the exciting atmosphere characterized by the constant movement and pulsating life on the streets.

The mix of glamorous events and everyday scenes creates a fascinating duality. While I found myself in a world of glitz and glamour, I could also feel the ordinariness of everyday life on the busy streets. Times Square is a stage for exciting shows and a place where ordinary life exists amidst the hustle and bustle.

The tension between dull moments and highly animating events is characteristic of this place. Here, you can lose yourself in the crowd and, at the same time, immerse yourself in a world full of energy and excitement. The dangers of city life (pickpockets are warned against) are present, but simultaneously, I experienced a completely safe, communal atmosphere.

Times Square's lively, colourful, vibrant hustle and bustle reveals a multicultural entertainment machine. The impressions I gathered are like a kaleidoscope of different moments that together capture the essence of this unique place. Times Square is more than just a geographical point on the map - it is a living experience that appeals to the senses and shows the diversity of urban life in all its facets.

The People I Met There

Let us pay homage to the people of Times Square, the tireless denizens of this iconic intersection, who contribute to the ceaseless rhythm of the city. Among the sea of faces, each one tells a unique story, a narrative woven into the fabric of the urban landscape.

In the early morning hours, as the city awakens, the street sweepers diligently clear the remnants of the previous night’s revelry. Delivery workers navigate the bustling streets, weaving through the labyrinth of taxis and pedestrians, ensuring that the city is supplied with its daily necessities.

As the day progresses, the pace quickens, and the kaleidoscope of characters takes centre stage. Business professionals in sharp suits rush to meetings, their footsteps harmonizing with the click-clack of high heels worn by ambitious women determined to conquer the corporate world. Tourists, wide-eyed and cameras in hand, capture the essence of the metropolis, creating memories against the backdrop of towering billboards and dazzling digital displays.

Street artists present their tricks with astonishing skill, the balloon seller wanders through Times Square to sell his products. The hot dogs, burgers and kebab stands with their various products represent their culinary diversity. On the other hand, Times Square is also a melting pot of self-representation. Circling screens offer tourists the opportunity to shoot short videos and capture their own memories of this colourful place.

The musical and dance interludes in Times Square give the place an artistic soul. The encounter with Fox's dancing weatherman and his group of dancers reflects the vibrancy that unfolds on the streets. At the same time, my eyes met the ladies of Larry Flint's Hustler Club NY, who added a touch of flamboyance to the atmosphere as living advertisements.

Which musical is on today ? - Sept. 2011 © Siegfried Rubbert

The Abstract Approach To This Square

In 2011 I tried for the first time to capture the essence, the life and the colours of this square by deliberately blurring it and this adds a dynamic and abstract dimension to the iconic urban landscape of the Times Square. It transforms the bustling lights and billboards into a mesmerizing blur of colours and shapes.

This technique not only captures the energy and vibrancy of Times Square but also introduces an artistic interpretation that transcends traditional photography, offering a unique perspective on the heart of the city that never sleeps. The intentional blurring of lights and forms creates a sense of motion and fluidity, turning the urban environment into a visually captivating and dreamlike scene.

In paying homage to Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) at the iconic Times Square in New York, we celebrate the marriage of artistic expression and the pulsating heartbeat of the city that encapsulates the essence of modern life. Through deliberate camera manipulation, a symphony of lights, colours, and movement emerges, transforming the bustling metropolis into a captivating visual masterpiece.

The intentional blurring of the cityscape transcends the boundaries of conventional photography, offering a profound and unique tribute to the perpetual energy of Times Square. Each streak of light becomes a brush stroke on the canvas of urban existence, capturing the perpetual dance of pedestrians, vehicles, and the luminescent billboards that define this renowned locale.

This homage recognizes the ability of Intentional Camera Movement to distill the dynamic spirit of Times Square into a singular, artistic moment. The deliberate blurring becomes a poetic expression of the perpetual motion and constant flux inherent in this iconic crossroads. It’s an acknowledgment of the photographer’s skill in translating the urban rhythm into a visual poetry that transcends mere representation, offering a fresh perspective that invites viewers to experience the vibrancy of the city anew.

Then, by chance - and almost as a supplement to this chapter - I saw a report on ZDF's Heute Journal on December 30, 2023, about an exciting exhibition taking place from December 1, 2023, to March 17, 2024 in the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich: Glitch - the art of disruption.

This unique exhibition is dedicated to the art of over 50 creatives from all over the world. What they all have in common is the courage to break with familiar ways of seeing things. What does glitch mean? A glitch is the unexpected result of a malfunction. However, the roots of technical glitches go back to the early days of photography, in the form of an artistic counter-movement to recognized forms of expression. Glitch art generates technical glitches as works of art. What we see is blurred, distorted, pixelated and possibly or deliberately created by digital glitches.

The question here is - What is perception, and what is reality - where are the boundaries? - What is truthful - Inspired by this question, I also generated a photo for this article using a freely available glitch art tool.

AND YOU SEE : IT NEVER ENDS