Credits: 4
Time: Tuesday, 2:10 p.m. - 6:00p.m.
Course Description:
In this course we explore using computer code as a medium for creating artwork. The focus is on the open source platform Processing -- an environment for programming images, animation and interaction. There are readings, research and production assignments, presentations and critiques during the course. In addition, a broad survey of artwork with computer code as its foundation is explored.
Requirements:
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. Chronic lateness and/or 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, documentation of work/wikipages and progress over the term.
Work:
Weekly work will include excercises from the Learning Processing book, which is required for this course. Students are required to read the chapters and complete all exercises. Notes from your work should be placed on your wikipage.
Final Project:
Building on class readings and skills acquired students create an artistic project of their own design. The instructor must approve projects.
>> Late work is not accepted!<<Research and Wikipages:
All students are expected to maintain a personal wiki site for this class. All research, documentation, and creative work should be posted on your site for peer review and comments. Individual pages should be updated regularly (weekly) and include all of your work for this course, an annotated list of links to artistic influences and notes from all readings. In class presentation materials should be located on your site.
Student Presentations:
Each student will be assigned a chapter from Processing to review during class. All supporting materials -- text, image, etc. -- are to be placed on your webpage.
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.
Required book:
Learning Processing, by Dan Shiffman, Morgan Kaufman, 2008.Purchase at Amazon ASAP.
This schedule is a guide and will change over the course of the term, check back often.
Session 1: March 3
Introduction to the course.What is code?
Art critiques.
Session 2: March 10
Discuss reading.Go over work.
Read:
Chapters 1-3, from Learning ProcessingFrank Dietrich, Visual Intelligence: The First Decade of Computer Art (1965-1975) from Leonardo Volume 19, No. 2, pages 159-169
Session 3: March 17
Discuss readings.Go over work.
Student presentation(s):
Carl South (Chapters 4-6)Read:
Chapters 4-6, from Learning ProcessingPages 138-141 from Information, The Museum of Modern Art, 1970
Pages 247-257, from The New Media Reader, MIT Press 2003
Due:
Create a small project that uses variables, conditionals and loops.Session 4: March 24
Discuss reading.Go over work.
Student presentation(s):
Ian Pearce (Chapter 7)Kasia Hayden (Chapter 8)
Read:
Chapters 7-8, from Learning ProcessingLev Manovich, pages 1-29, Software Takes Command, 2008
Session 5: March 31
Discuss readings.Go over work.
Student presentation(s):
Max Darham (Chapter 9)Read:
Chapter 9, from Learning ProcessingAlexander Alberro, Reconsidering Conceptual Art Pages XVI-XXXVII, from Conceptual Art: A Critical Anthology, MIT Press 2003
Lucy Lippard & John Chandle, The Dematerialization of Art Pages 46-50, from Conceptual Art: A Critical Anthology, MIT Press 2003
Session 6: April 7
Go over work.Student presentation(s):
Keren Hasson and Fiona McNeil(Chapter 10-12)Read:
Chapters 10-12, from Learning Processingand
Software Structure, by Casey Reas
View the resulting works.
Due:
After Sol Lewitt assignment.Session 7: April 14
Go over work. Individual meetings with Robert to discuss ideas for final projects. Students should have draft idea of work on their wikipage, including text, image and artistic precedents/influences/inspirations.Session 8: April 21
Go over work.Final ideas presentations.
Student presentation(s):
David Selles(Chapter 13)Read:
Chapters 13, from Learning ProcessingRead:
Presentation of final ideas to the class. All support materials (written description, sketches, research and artistic precedents/influences/inspirations) should be located on student wikipages.Session 9: April 28
Go over work.Final ideas presentations.
Student presentation(s):
Sofia Barbaresco(Chapter 15)Jesse Russel(Chapter 16)
Read:
Chapters 15-16, from Learning ProcessingSession 10: May 5
Plan day Be in class working, unless you have a plan.Session 11: May 12
Go over work.Student presentation(s):
Blake Shaw and Devin Gaffney (Chapters 17-19)Read:
Chapters 17-19, from Learning ProcessingSession 12: May 19
Review work to date.Student progress reports.
Work on finals.
Student presentation(s):
James Miner(Chapter 20-21)Read:
Chapters 20-21, from Learning ProcessingSession 13: May 26
Student progress reports.Work on finals.
Session 14: June 2
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.)