Description:
This course is an introduction to creative practices within digital technologies. A broad survey of the history of digital arts is examined in tandem with a survey of software including Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Flash, and Macromedia Dreamweaver. In addition, the course covers scanning, image optimization, and the foundations of HTML. Students apply knowledge and skills to creative projects throughout the term. There are lectures, reading assignments, studio projects and critiques during the course designed to aid the student in developing visual literacy and critical thinking skills in relation to the digital arts.
Requirements:
Active student participation throughout all aspects of this course will make your experience much more meaningful and is necessary for the successfully completion of the assigned work. There are reading/research assignments, weekly discussions, student presentations, critiques and the production work during this course. Students are expected to be present for all class meetings. Please email the instructor if you must miss a class. No more than 2 excused absences are permitted.
Students will be evaluated based on the following: Participation/attitude, creative/conceptual work, technical dexterity and progress over the term.
Midterm Project,
Drawing upon our readings and skills acquired, students work to create their own non-linear interactive web piece. The project is to be inspired by Olia Olialina's “My boyfriend came back from the War.” The instructor must approve projects and all research is to be documented on personal web sites.
Final Project
Building on the midterm project, class readings, and skills acquired student’s work to design a web-based project of their own choosing. The instructor must approve projects and all work is to be documented on individual websites.
>> I do not accept late work! <<
Research/weblogs/websites:
All students are expected to visit and contribute to the class weblog on a regular basis. Each student is expected to create and maintain a personal website for this class. All research, documentation, and creative work should be posted on your site for peer review and comments. In-class presentation materials should be located on your website.
Subscribe to the Rhizome Net Art News List.
Books:
Required:
Christiane Paul, Digital Art, Thames and Hudson, 2003. (Available at the Bennington Bookstore)
Strongly Recommended:
David Sawyer McFarland, Dreamweaver MX 2004, The Missing Manual, O'Reilly Press, 2004.
Elaine Weinmann, Peter Lourekas, Photoshop CS for Windows and Macintosh : Visual QuickStart Guide
Katherine Ulrich, Macromedia Flash MX 2004 for Windows and Macintosh : Visual QuickStart Guide, 2004.
This schedule is a guide and is subject to change over the course of the term.
Session 1 |
Introduction to the course. |
Intro to HTML.
Session 2 |
Read:http://computer.howstuffworks.com/operating-system.htm/printable Due:Create biographical text-based web page inspired by Heath Bunting's _readme.html. |
Session 3 |
Read: |
From Digital Art: “Introduction” page 7-26.
More Dreamweaver, site architecture.
Due: |
Write one-page html document in response to the Introduction to digital art using Dreamweaver.
Session 4 |
Read: |
From Digital Art: “Digital Technologies as a Tool” page 27-66.
Review work to date.
If time permits,
Image optimization/Photoshop.
Work on student pages in class.
Due:
Site map for student pages, draft of design.
Session 5 |
Read: |
From Digital Art: “Digital Technologies as a Medium: forms of digital art, Installation” page 67-96.
More Dreamweaver.
Due:
Student home pages complete and located on servers.
Session 6 |
Read: |
From Digital Art: “Digital Technologies as a Medium: Film, video and animation, Internet art and nomadic networks, Software art. Page 96-125.
Ideas presentation and draft version of site architecture for Midterm project inspired by Olia Olialina's “My boyfriend came back from the War.” Frames. Work on midterm projects.
Session 7 |
Due: |
Session 8 |
Read: |
Midterm projects due. In class presentations and discussion.
From Digital Art: “Digital Technologies as a Medium: Virtual reality and augmented reality, sound and music.” Page 125-138
Session 9 |
Read: |
From Digital Art: “Themes in Digital Art: Artificial Life, Artificial intelligence and intelligent agents, Telepresence, telematics, and telerobotics.” Page 139-164.
Introduction to Flash
Session 10 |
Plan Day / No Class |
Session 11 |
Read: |
From Digital Art: “Themes in Digital Art: Body and identity, Databases, data visualization, and mapping.” Page 165-189.
More Flash
Due:
First draft of ideas for final project
>>Thanksgiving Holiday November 24-28<< |
Session 12 |
Read: |
From Digital Art: “Themes in Digital Art: Beyond the book: text and narrative environments, Gaming, Tactical media, activism, and hacktivism, Technologies of the future.” Page 189-215
Final project discussions and work.Session 13 |
Final project discussions and work.
Session 14 |
Last Class. Final projects due. (All work from the term must be complete and located on student web pages by the start of class.)
