Course 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 Macromedia Dreamweaver, Adobe Photoshop, and Macromedia Flash. Emphasis is placed on making creative projects for the web. 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.
Thursday, 8:20am - 12noonRequirements:
Active student participation throughout all aspects of this course will make your experience much more meaningful and is necessary for the successful completion of the assigned work. There are reading/research assignments, weekly discussions, student presentations, critiques and the production of work during this course. Students are expected to be present for all class meetings. Please email me if you must miss a class. More than 2 absences will seriously jeopardize your standing in this course.
Students will be evaluated based on the following: Participation/attitude, creative/conceptual work, technical dexterity and progress over the term.
Midterm Project:
The first portion of the term will be focused on learning the skills necessary to build a personal website for you to house your ongoing creative work etc. We will look at principles of web design, information architecture, image optimization and best practice strategies.
Final Project:
Building on class readings and skills acquired student create a web-based project of their own choosing. The instructor must approve projects and all work is to be located on individual websites. (Final can be created in HTML, Flash, or a combination of both.)
>> Late work is not accepted!<<Research/websites:
All students are expected to contribute in class on a regular basis. Each student is also 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. Individual websites should be updated regularly and include all of your work for this course. In-class presentation materials should be located on your website.
Reading responses:
Students are required to write brief responses to all readings from Internet Art. The response should be a paragraph or two in length and can focus on a specific project presented in the reading. Be sure to include links to work that you discuss. Responses should take the form of a web page and be housed on the student's website for the class.
Subscribe to the Rhizome Net Art News List.
Office hours/help:
I am available for technical help or to discuss individual projects via office hours and email. If you would like to schedule a time to meet with me, please check my calendar (link above) and email me an appropriate time that works with both our schedules. Please do not leave voice mail! I am also readily available via email and will regularly respond within a few hours.
Preston Noon is the Digital Arts Technician and has regular help hours each week. For more information, please visit the POD website.
Books:
Required (Available at the Bennington Bookstore or online):
Rachel Greene, Internet Art, Thames and Hudson, 2003.
Available online at Amazon: David Sawyer McFarland, Dreamweaver CS3, The Missing Manual, O'Reilly Press, 2005.
Recommended:
Elaine Weinmann, Peter Lourekas, Photoshop CS3 for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide
Chris Grover and E. Moore, Macromedia Flash CS3: The Missing Manual, O'Reilly Press.
This schedule is a guide and will change over the course of the term, check back often.
Session 1: September 6
Introduction to the course. What is digital art?Intro to HTML.
Session 2: September 13
Photoshop, layout, site architecture.Read:
Handout: Christiane Paul, “Digital Technologies as a Medium: Forms of Digital Art” page 66-95, From Digital Art, Thames and Hudson, 2003.http://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet-infrastructure.htm/printable
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/web-server.htm/printable
Due:
Create biographical text-based web page inspired by Heath Bunting's _readme.html.Session 3: September 20
Bennington server space/accounts. FTP. Introduction to Dreamweaver.Read:
From Internet Art, “Preface,” "The Internet's History and Pre-History" and "The Art-Historical Context for Internet Art." page 7-30.From DW Missing Manual, page 1-28
Due:
Write one-page html document in response to the Internet Art reading using BBedit and an external style sheet. Be sure to include links and experiment with font, color etc.Session 4: September 27
Scanning. Image optimization with Photoshop. Work on layout proposal.Read:
User Centered Design and Page Design from Web Style Guide.Review work to date. CSS Layout.
Due:
CSS Tutorial from "Missing Manual" page 139-151. (Tutorial files)Bring to class: images to scan or work with, outline of site and sketches for navigation/design.
Session 5: October 4
Individual meetings with Robert. From Internet Art: Early Internet Art page 31-71.Due:
Reading response.Site map/outline for student pages, draft ideas for design.
Session 6: October 11
Work on sites in class.Due:
Read pages 309-342 "Missing Manual" and do CSS tutorial page 351-366.Present revised site map/outline and design to the class for input. Assets for site should be ready (photographs, writing etc.)
Session 7: October 18
Due:
Student webpages complete, on student server and working. Class critique.Session 8: October 25
Read:
From Internet Art: Isolating the Elements page 73-117.Review of work to date.
Due:
Reading response.Session 9: November 1
Introduction to Flash.Due:
Continue working on personal sites and ideas for final projects.Session 10: November 8
More Flash.Read:
From Internet Art: Themes in Internet Art Page 119-144.Due:
Reading Response.First draft of ideas for final project. You should have a paragraph decsription of your idea along with sketches/images and a site outline/map. Individual discussions with Robert.
Session 11: November 15
More Flash.Read:
From Internet Art: Themes in Internet Art Page 144-171.Due:
Reading Response.Presentation of ideas for final project to the class. Description of the project along with sketches, site map etc. should be located on your website.
November 22
Thanksgviving Holiday, NO CLASSNovember 29
Plan Day:WORKING SESSION.
Students should be in the pod working on their projects (unless you have a plan meeting.)
Session 13: December 6
Review work to date. Work on finals.Read:
From Internet Art: Art for Networks Page 173-212.Reading response.
Session 14: December 13
Final projects discussion and critique.Last class. Final projects due. (All work from the term must be complete and located on student web pages by the start of class.)