FEATURED PROJECT
STRIP MALL ECOLOGYFaculty: Carl DiSalvoTeam Member(s): Adam Rice Second-year Digital Media master`s student Adam Rice introduces his thesis: "The Strip Mall Ecology". Please briefly explain the project. What is it about? My master`s project, Strip Mall Ecology, is a digital exploration of city space and an investigation of the ways digital media shape the image of the city. The focus of the project is on strip malls and employing digital media to discover the ways they operate as elements of the city. Dissatisfied with the existing means of representing urban spaces and experiences online, I am interested in developing a web-based platform that engages elements of the city while maintaining the richness and complexity of the urban experience. What the current status of project? I am developing a metric for investigating strip malls as city elements, data collection, and production of the final online documentary. I make my own schedule for this project, which is a luxury and, depending on what other work I have to do, a curse. I split 16 hours a week among reading, data collection, and design. How long have you been working on this project? I have been working on my thesis for the last three months. What is the goal of this project? The strip mall, with its connotations of car culture and cookie-cutter commerce, is the focus of this project. Employing digital media, I am investigating Atlanta`s strip malls to furnish an alternative means of expressing the image of the city. My ultimate goal is not only to illuminate the complexity of a single aspect of the Atlanta cityscape, but I also want to provide a means to escape or enhance the ways in which cities are represented online. What are the biggest challenges with this project? The biggest challenge I face in this project is maintaining a narrow focus. Too many compelling tangents arise when the city is your subject. Why do you like working for this project? I like working on this project because of my own personal obsession with suburban phenomena, but also because it challenges collective notions of what is urban and the ways cities are represented online. Prepared by Tanla Bilir |
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