DXARTS 200: Digital Art and New Media - History, Theory and Practice

Lecture Instructor
Heather Raikes hraikes@u.washington.edu
Office hours - email for appointment

Discussion Intstructors
Nicolas Varchausky varchaus@u.washington.edu
Office hours - email for appointment
Maja Petric maja08@u.washington.edu
Office hours - email for appointment
Meghan Trainor mtrainor@u.washington.edu
Office hours - email for appointment

T-TH 2:30-4:20 SAV 260

Section AA > F 1:30-2:20 MGH 295 (Petric)
Section AB > F 1:30-2:20 MGH 251 (Trainor)
Section AC > F 1:30-2:20 MGH 231 (Varchausky)
Section AD > F 2:30-3:20 MGH 295 (Petric)
Section AE > F 2:30-3:20 MGH 287 (Trainor)
Section AF > F 2:30-3:20 MGH 254 (Varchausky)

DXARTS 201 Application: DXARTS 201 Application Now Online

SYLLABUS

Please note that this information is subject to modification as the course progresses.

DESCRIPTION

The future of art has always been a matter of critical concern, as the role of the artist within society shifts and aesthetic sensibilities become transformed. This course analyses examples from art, science, technology, sociology and philosophy in order to provide students with the means to establish their own vision of what digital media can become, from both a practical and a theoretical perspective. It focuses upon the methodologies and ideologies that underpin our current understanding of digital art, approaching it as a multi-dimensional array of related possibilities. Students are asked to use this grounding as a stimulus to speculate about new, emerging art forms, and in the process take their first step towards inventing the boundaries of future art practice.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND REQUIREMENTS

Attend all lectures (Tuesday + Thursday each week)
Attend all Friday seminars
Complete weekly reading assignments
Participate in class discussions
Complete seminar homework tasks as assigned: late work will not be accepted
Complete a final project and presentation: late work will not be accepted

PROJECTS

Although there is no mid-term or exam for this class, it requires a serious commitment from students in order to do well. The work-load it involves is intensive, but worthwhile. A great deal of conceptual territory is covered which, combined with a student's willingness to participate and think innovatively, will result in an extremely valuable learning experience.

Final Project
The final project for this class is described as follows:

All students must complete a web based mini proposal of an imaginary artwork 50-100 years in the future. It should be richly illustrated, have an abstract, background, research, timeline, and budget section. The project seeks work that demonstrates imagination, work ethic, and an ability to assemble the course materials into a meaningful and profound set of possibilities of what might be.

The final project must be uploaded to the DXARTS server before midnight on 12/7. Students are then required to present their work to the class in scheduled sessions on 12/8, 12/10 and 12/11.

To submit the final project, please use the following formats/procedures:

1. Publish on your own web space – Dante or other.

2. Submit both the URL for your site, and the complete web site files in a .zip via the Catalyst Drop Box.

3. Submit a backup CD of your site to your discussion instructor at the presentation session on 12/8.

The project must be web-based: any students who do not know how to build a website should

Look on the internet and find out how.
Email either of the class TAs to request help.
Ensure they have done the above in the first half of the quarter.

Students are also recommended to visit the Educational Partnerships and Learning Technologies Department website, which has information about free web-building workshops that are available to students. Please note: your files must be web files (.html, .swf, .dcr, .jpg, .gif, etc.); Word (.doc) files are not acceptable.

Homework
Each week students will also be set a task, including such things as writing, databasing, mapping, researching. This homework is not optional: it must be submitted in the seminar session, and you will receive an overall grade for your homework. The homework will be assessed as a body of work, and grading for the homework will be based upon your ability to relate the theoretical, practical and discursive elements of the class together within the work that you hand in.

All written homework assignments must be typed and printed with name and section clearly labelled. Any homework assignment that does not fit into a file folder must be submitted via documentation that includes photo(s) and description of the work. The complete work should be presented by the student in disucssion section.

Reading
In addition, each week there will be a number of short readings to be completed. These are also required: you need them to participate in the class discussions and to succeed in the homework tasks.

GRADING

Participation at lectures/seminars will be weighted approximately 30% of the overall grade. This included discussion, questions, and maintaining an active engagement with all aspects of the class.
Completion of homework tasks will be weighted approximately 30% of the overall grade.
The final project will be weighted approximately 40%.
Late work will not be accepted.

POLICIES

No smoking in the lecture theater, classroom or building.
Back up your data. No excuses for losing essays, web documents, images, etc. Keep at least three copies of everything: one on your hard drive, one on a CD, and one somewhere else just in case.
If you have a disability that you think may impact your participation in this class, please contact Disabled Student Services. Every effort will be made to accommodate your needs.