I have chosen to do my Field Guide on the Historic Adornments of Eugene Oregon. In this, I hope to highlight many of the hidden treasures concealed in the alcoves, porticos and rooflines of many of the cities oldest buildings. My overarching goal is to encourage those who live in, or visit, this beautiful locale to look up more and appreciate the details and stories that this town was built on. I find that all too often, the modern man is consumed by a mobile device whilst walking. It is no longer about the enjoyment of being, but the anticipation of getting. I would like to prove that by using transmediations, I can utilize modern technology to guide those through the heritage of this great city by communicating in a way that is best understood by a cellular phone centered society.
I will act upon these proposals through a coloring book which will be shared with my class peers and left on open tables within the AAA building and other applicable locations. This book will highlight 5-7 adornments I find most appealing and encourage the participant(s) to find these locations themselves and explore more of Eugene. There is an ample surrounding world here and I want to urge people to look further than the 3 feet ahead of them on the sidewalk and lift their eyes to see how rich this city really is.
The transmedia resources I plan to use are:
- I plan to use the Lane Country Historical Society and Museum as sources of information re: Eugene’s history, the fuller story behind the creation of the buildings I choose and to get a better idea of the city as a society through the years.
- I will utilize the created Coloring Book to continue the interest and exploration of decided locations. I believe that coloring books allow creativity, but yet not stressing or overwhelming the participant with too much artistic responsibility. A coloring book is for fun, to take an idea and to expand upon a suggested canvas with personality and individuality.
- I will create a Facebook Page that can be shared and explored with pictures of the original structures I choose, along with my created coloring book pages. In this I hope that others will submit their finalized colorings as well as suggest other locations around Eugene that inspire them and helped them to look up and enjoy the city that much more.
- I will also create a Twitter Handle – @eugeneadornment of which I will cross reference any other online portals and platforms and encourage applicable businesses/individuals to follow.
- I will reference the philosophy(ies) of Hannah Arendt, John Ruskin and Jacques Ranciere throughout my research and final project.
- I will create a Hashtag for use on all mediums for search-ability and easier collaborative online communication for the entirety of the project. At this time, the hashtag will be similar to the twitter handle and will remain as such unless needs arise for amendment. #eugeneadornment
- I will also produce a Word Press site outlining my creative inspiration, images, struggles and successes of the project, and an available download of the coloring book pages, for available printing for anyone interested after the project is complete. This will not only include what I hope to accomplish but will carry a document of reflections and thoughts once the major parts of the field guide are finished.
- I plan to put together a Song List of potential artists and musical accompaniment to incorporate whilst a participant appreciates the adornment of Eugene. I feel it’s important to have a multifaceted insight into art appreciation and the more applicable platforms available and useful, the better. Additionally, I hope to encourage a better use of the abundance of earbuds in place and help to associate ‘looking around’ with ‘listening in’.
In this research I will use the below listed authors, both discussed in our class and from my own readings and use the sentiments they explore in my own study of “Adornment”, “Culture” and “Modernity”. I hope to prove that by exploring the world around us, in our own way, with our own eyes, will help us to better appreciate how best we can associate and participate in the growing world of mobile device devotion. This is, by no means, an attempt to cancel out or reduce the use of cellular applications, rather a way to not lose sight in the beauty and source of inspiration around us.
Justin Mckeown “Our lives are undergoing a multitude of minuscule but significant changes that are altering not only how we relate to each other and the world, but also how we conceive of ourselves as being within it. ”
Henry Jenkins: “This practice (Transmedia) can expand the potential market by creating different points of entry to attract different audience segments.”
Raymond Williams: “The making of a society is the finding of common meanings and directions, and it’s growth is an active debate and amendment, under the pressures of experience, contact and discovery.”
David Hume: “The more instances we examine, and the more care we employ, the more assurance shall we acquire, that the enumeration, which we form from the whole, is complete and entire.” AND “the fact that different cultures have different practices no more refutes [moral] objectivism than the fact that water flows in different directions in different places refutes the law of gravity”
