RossAllana VtP Annotation: architecture of the ideal imaginary

This is a found image, an architect's rendering of the proposed project. As the caption points out, select aspects of the site have been deliberately omitted, while certain have been emphasized. This image could just as easily be in a mountain resort town as next to a freeway. The image is populated by members of the leisure class enjoying the outdoor amenities. An older couple in matching khakis strolls, children run through the grass holding hands, and women picnic. Most people are white, though not all of them. Groups of migrating birds fly overhead. Because this is an architect's drawing, we know that every little detail is deliberate, considered before being depicted. Nothing here is accidental, from the angle at which the white brick path cuts through the lawn, to the dusting of snow on the mountains, to the races, clothes, and positions of the people in the image. It is an advertisement selling harmony.