As we have learned, artifacts have narrative with a place or person associated with them. If an object is removed from one place to another, its meaning can change. Our group came upon a shoe field or “garden,” an abundance of shoes and various random articles, abandoned in the desert. Each one of our group located artifacts, examined its present location, considered why it was possibly placed there, and then moved the artifact to a new location.
The artifact I discovered and relocated was a car tire, spray painted teal blue on one side. Other than finding it in the trash pile and additional blue paint, I could find no flaws with the tire. The tread looked even, had not been worn down and looked new. I decided to relocate the tire closer to the Route 66, on top of a pole covered with shoes. With the tire in close proximity to the road, travelers who notice it and later may need a spare could return and retrieve the tire for use on their own vehicle.
I find it interesting that this location of micro-artifacts and many smaller objects like shoes, combined with tires, a bathtub and other random discarded articles; has grown in size to a large macro area of waste, now a tourism landmark.
Coordinates for this location:
Latitude: 34.083413
Longitude:-114.847925
Post by Shelly Perkins on University of Oklahoma's Road to Ruscha trip 2013
