The image was taken in New York City in 2002 by Richard Pare who is originally from Portsmouth, England. The image was taken because of its “conceptual nature of architecture” as stated in the summary of the piece. The main focus was the bold text and the lighting of the place. This piece caught my interest because of the lighting. For me the main component of this work is the way the picture was taken (the angle). The repetition of bolded words in a list adds a contrast to the white walls and door. The words are related and list qualities of life. I think the implication of this art is to make one wonder. The odd ambiance leaves one with many questions. One question I’m left with is what led the photographer to this specific spot?

I would categorize it as grunge aesthetic. It reminds me of shops you would normally see in New York City that have been around for a while. They are usually a bit run down and have a mysterious atmosphere to them. I see many fortune teller advertisements around NYC. The intended audience is the public. Whether you’re from NYC and recognize seeing places like that or are not from NYC it shows an aspect of the city that many never think twice of. I think it speaks the most to people who have personally lived in NYC and have connections with it because of its normalcy here. We don’t think about it when we see it, but we can take time to appreciate it for what it is. The purpose is the same as what the creator might have had for the piece. It shows common architecture here in NYC that is not common in many other places.

Historically it’s just NYC culture and just aesthetics here in the city with how things can be common and normal but beautiful in their own unique ways. The image is arranged with a bold fortune teller sign to the left and a door cracked open to the right with a yellow light in the middle as well as numbers indicating the building number. The doorway is cropped out and I think it leads to an aspect of mystery. The element I believe it works most with is pathos. I say this because of its pull to mystery and how the person viewing the image might feel. To me it makes me question what’s beyond the door and is almost suspenseful. I think the only piece of identity held in this image can be beliefs. Since it’s a sign of a fortune teller, it depends if the person believes in that sort of thing or not.