Panorama Ephemera
By Rick Prelinger
Design by Raegan Kelly

Designer's Statement

Our operating principles for the site:

1. Practice openness: fetch, render/play, and link.
2. The mycelial mat is a prototype for the internet, a network of distributed knowledge.
3. Experimental history.
4. Model of plenty.

Rick is an extraordinarily curious and generous person. Through panorama.vectorsjournal.org he gives us an extensive web of work and association through which to move, read and view. My project was to create a screen of access points into this network of proclamation, autobiography, metadata, definition and film clip. The design presents as much data as possible on the 'surface' of the piece, and uses the original order, the order of archival clips in the film, as backbone.

More than an explanation of or even map into Rick's filmmaking process, the piece attempts to exhibit the fecundity of its makers mind. As any practicing artist knows, even the most conceptually rigorous and intellectually grounded art making requires one to listen for intuition, and give the unconscious voice. Rick's collaboration with Lessig's 'model of plenty' is a mantra to that end: move through the world inspired, and you will find no end to inspiration.

Ultimately, Rick wants you to download his clips and make your own work. Express yourself, and share the wealth. There is plenty to go around.

Rick Prelinger's film Panorama Ephemera is available to watch and download through the Internet Archive. I highly recommend it.

--Raegan