John Tournas

John Tournas

For my first drawing of the Copley Mall area, I was interested in the boundaries of public and retail space. The main feature that has stood out to me from my trip to that area has been the bridges connecting different buildings. I thought it was interesting that they were see-through, as I usually think of malls as self-contained areas. From the bridges, I felt that I could view and feel connected to public pace (the sidewalk, trees, other buildings in the distance) while still having my movement limited by the prescribed path of the mall. In my drawing, I attempted to draw this connection from bridge to street.

My drawing of Newbury Street deals with the compartmentalization and varied uses of public space. During my trip there. I was very intrigued by the contrast of the public alleyways to the main retail area of Newbury Street. Because they were so close together, I could almost see the flow of money and labor from one to the other, the rich, glitzy shops, and in the back, the trash cans, dumpsters, and kitchen smells that complemented them. From the roof of a fancy restaurant, I could see both graffiti, and luxury clothing in the same view. Drawing both of these scenes have led me to think about the blurry lines of private and public space. One that is private property actually may be more accessible than one that is public.