Disneyland, the source of dreams and magical wonders for many across the globe (not just including children). It’s amazing to think that this place is the product of one man’s imagination, “wholly artificial,” (Lane, 2000, p. 8), and a false representation of American life in the past, according to Lane in his introduction. This view that Walt Disney had of “American pastime” seemed to recreate the future of environmental design giving society the idea that this “reality” is the environment that we strive for. I think it ironic that society is conforming its reality around “art” rather than art reflecting society. However, this idealized place serves to give Americans a longing or connection to place and I must admit that I am also conforming to this love of idealized place whenever someone talks about Disney world being a place of capitalistic controls, etc, etc, I begin to sink because it has been a dream of mine to work for Disney and be a part of the creating the wondrous innocent environment that others are searching for in the world. Never mind that it is false. I see it as a place of inspiration, and a grounding “means of anchor[ing] meaning in place,” (Lane, 2000, p. 8) if it allows us to escape from the normal, yet again, what is purely normal in today’s sense?
No comments:
Post a Comment