Week #7 – Collaboration – Lauren Marie Paterson

Of all of the projects on the Saving The Sierra site, I loved the adorable poem by the Grass Valley Charter School 4th grade class the most. They wrote it after a rafting trip, and while exploring the story map, this one struck me most because I started to think: if we invest in making sure children and young adults are exposed to the wonders of the outdoor world early on, will this instill a respect for nature later in life? Not that we should give up on trying to involve adults, but in making sure children are connecting to wildlife and the outdoor world, are we able to instill a sense of conservation and respect? In creating a collaborative media project about the adventures of their excursion, perhaps it taught these children to think differently about the human connection to the natural world, and also how to work together to weave an artistic piece about their trip. It seems that this sort of collaborative project could have benefits both socially and environmentally, as well as contributing to the children’s teamwork skills.

 

Saving Secrets certainly had a very modern and polished interactive design that drew me in immediately. I enjoyed that the intro was so simplistic, yet the music and sound added more power to the words of the narrator. There were not many graphics or images when the narration was taking place, which I think was helpful in that you are able to better concentrate on her words. The anonymity of the subjects involved and implication of “secrets” reminded me of another ongoing collaborative community art project – Post Secret. Many of you might already be familiar with the ongoing community art project in which people mail in their secrets on a homemade postcard anonymously, where they are eventually posted online and even eventually published in books. Post Secret also hold events at campuses and locations around the country, allowing contributors to meet and discuss.

After hearing horror stories on Saving Secrets like that of the woman getting more time in prison than the man she was involved with despite the fact that they were both involved in the same crime, I was reminded of other terrible news stories lately like that of female prisoners in California getting sterilized against their will. Since the United States incarcerates more people per capita than any other country on Earth, it’s certainly an issue that could peek the interest of many people, and already has. Orange is the New Black is the latest Netflix exclusive series based on Piper Kerman’s memoir of her year in a minimum-security women’s prison.

Luckily with projects like this and shows such as Orange is the New Black, these media are allowing people to question and discuss the problems surrounding the prison-industrial complex of our nation. Would a project like this have the same affect if were not collaborative, and if we were hearing from only one person? I am especially interested to see what the prison divestment group has to say about this project this week.

 

High-rise was such a creative way to show archival photographs and tell stories. I never once caught myself wishing they had done video instead, with such interesting photographs and the added touch of digitizing movement within the old photos. Signs moving, smoke coming out of the chimney, and numerous other little movements that made the piece interesting to watch. The piece was also narrated by Feist! She is so excellent! I enjoyed the possibility of dragging down in order to receive more information, and I like the fact that it remained visual with the text over more beautiful photographs. However, I personally only did it once because I felt as if it disrupted the overall flow of the documentary piece, and I was so intrigued I didn’t want to break away.

A beautifully showcased historical look as the social construct behind the physical construct of high rises, this piece seems to want people to question how to house the growing populations of the world in an equitable way that fosters community without isolating social groups. Perhaps, like this project, it will take the collaboration of many creative artists and the collaborative communication and feedback of potential residents to construct a suitable housing solution. Luckily, there are examples of visions for futuristic urban dwelling right on our Portland campus! The architecture school has a variety of projects on display downstairs that explore many of the questions raised in this video. Check them out next time you are at school!

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