From the Vectors Journal of Culture and Technology, I picked the project Public Secrets. Imaginative Speculation: Public Spaces as a Act of Resistance. Public Secrets is by Sharon Daniel and the design is by Erik Loyer. The focus for the project was power and knowledge regarding life for women in prison. Exploration of the project allows for an examination of who controls the power in the penal system and the need to increase awareness and knowledge about what is really happening behind prison doors. It is an effort to dispel popular misconceptions about prisons. It is also a part of a large resistance movement that works to dismantle the current prison system in the hope of a more humane and tolerant world. There is very little opportunity for the general public to examine a women’s prison from the inside out but that is what this project attempts to do. This is a social problem that inaction and silence by the public allows to continue without inspection or consideration. This is problem that impacts us all. It asks the question “ Is this really how a just and democratic society wants to treat people?” This sight combines visual and audio elements for a forceful presentation of the plight of women who are incarcerated in prison near Chowchilla in central California. The documentary approach allows for the women to tell their story in a view from the inside of the stark cold prison. The design decisions seem to be well thought out and carefully planned as they create the dynamic and powerful overall dark feeling and experience. When you browse the piece you see statements that are made by the featured women who struggle and live in custody. You can click on the statement to listen to the audio portion or you can click on the text to read the statement. There are options to click on buttons labeled “more” or “view connections” to view a new screen with additional content. You are asked to listen to the stories and consider the real life issues which make the experience more personal and moving. You focus on the descriptions the women are giving as you are asked to imagine the kind of life that is required to survive in that environment. The black and white interface with bold letters and moving blocks of space are symbolic of the inhuman black and white rules and regulations that these ladies must endure. The visual of limited color as well as definition of space in moving blocks are symbols for the strong lines drawn between those that are inside the prison and those that enjoy freedom on the outside. The use of sound is gripping and chilling as there is a loud noise made as you move around the site that reminded me of a prison door slamming shut. The strip to make selections from is not on the top of the site, but rather down the side. This was a representation of a life that was not lived within normal freedoms but was sideways and out of order. The visuals and the eerie sounds are an integral part of the story that unfolds with the telling of each dramatic story. This project did a very effective job of making a documentary and presenting a strong case for actions to reform women’s prisons using digital media.
