DXARTS 202: FUNDAMENTALS OF DIGITAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ART

MW 1:30-4:20, Raitt 105
Instructor - Juan Pampin, pampin@u.washington.edu
Office hours - by appointment
TA - Eunsu Kang, eskang@u.washington.edu
Office hours - TBA

SYLLABUS

Please note that this site is a living document and subject to modification as the course progresses.

DESCRIPTION

This foundations level experimental art course introduces students to the principles of digital media creation through a combination of lectures, practical assignments, and studio seminars. Many course resources, homework assignments, and reviews are web-based. Students should have access to a fast, networked computer outside of class to complete their assignments and engage in coursework and discussion.

Digital media art has been practiced and theorized within frameworks of more traditional media, such as television, avant-garde art, and fluxus art. However, the understanding of what is radically new about digital media often eludes such frameworks, because digital media challenges many of the paradigms that these frameworks are built upon. The need for an original framework that emerges from digital media is imperative for a new medium.

This course will focus on core intentional or inherent aspects of technology based art. Some of these aspects are properties unique to digital media such as dynamic data, interactivity, or networking. Other aspects are subjects commonly taken up in the creation of digital art, such as telematic space, the architecture of time, the body and identity, decentralized authorship and hive-mind behavior, or the extended social life of digital art. This class will introduce the core conceptual skills necessary to employ digital media in the generative and investigative context of art making.

This course is broken up into diverse topical segments of approximately one week each. Within each segment the assignments, lectures, presented projects, and readings relate to the topic.

CLASS OVERVIEW AND FORMAT

Through the lecture format portion of the course, students will learn basic digital arts history, theory, and design principles ranging from simple programming to poetics in technology arts. Some lectures may feature guest speakers. Course topics include: Image and sound processing, site specific works, temporal structures, interface design, interaction strategy, production cycles and narrative structures. In lectures and through personal exploration of the art projects listed on the course website, you will view and analyze examples of these integrated principles. Working on home computers and lab computers, students complete a principle-driven art project in phases. They receive technical assistance, and review each component of their project with the instructor during lab hours.

Though software and tools will be provided, it is recommended that students purchase a copy or obtain evaluation copies of basic programs such as Photoshop, iMovie, Processing, etc. or their equivalent which will be used throughout the course.

COURSE GOALS

Creation of an experimental art work.
Understanding of intermediate techniques for digital art production.
Exploration of digital and experimental art works in the context of course topics.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND REQUIREMENTS

Attend lectures, workshops, labs and critiques
Participate in discussions
Complete smaller research and reading assignments following the concepts, methods or techniques discussed in class.
Document and archive all work thoroughly
Taking notes in class is encouraged and will help you remember what you've learned when you are working on your own time.
Please do not read email or surf the web during lectures and discussions - it's distracting to all of us!

REQUIRED READING

Will mostly use DXARTS 200's book: Wilson, Steve. 2002, Information Arts, MIT Press, Cambridge.

Other reading assignments will be available online.

ART PROJECT

Students will be working on a single art project throughout the quarter. The project consists of 6 components:

Ideation: collection of ideas and distillation of them into a solid concept for your piece.
Proposal: once you have a clear idea of what you would like to achieve you will have to come up with a proposal. This will include an action plan and a time line which are related to the following components of the project.
Proof of concept demo: you will have to demo the project, this just means a short presentation (5 to 10 minutes) where you pitch the project to the class, showing some images, blueprints, sounds, etc. Think of this demo as a proof of concept for your project.
Production: there will be 3 production phases for your project, goal for each of these phases will be defined during our proposal session and refined over the course of the project. You will be responsible to do a download of progress on your piece every week.
Pre-final demo: this is a do-not-panic session in which you have to present your pieces in a almost "for-final" state. It will take place just a few days before your final and will help us help you deal with the final details of your work.
Documentation: this is a very important component of the project. You should keep a record of every step you make in your project, from the ideation stage until the final. You can use either a web page or a blog, all we require is that it must be online (you will provide us with a URL).

For a detailed timeline of your projects visit the Schedule page.

EVALUATION

Quality of ideas, execution of those ideas, and ability to articulate your thought processes and strategies.
Willingness to explore, experiment, and take genuine artistic chances in your work.
Amount of time spent and depth of engagement.

POLICIES

No smoking in the classroom or building. No eating, or drinking in the lab.
You are responsible for your data! Back it up, store it in multiple locations, burn it to a disk, do whatever you have to do to ensure it's integrity.
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.
The telephones in all DXARTS/CARTAH facilities may not be used for personal calls of any kind. Telephones may be used by students and other unauthorized personnel ONLY for emergencies. Any use of the telephones for any other purpose may result in the loss of access to the facilities.
USE OF ELECTRICITY: Some exercises in this course deal with discussions and concepts that can use electricity or electronics as possible components in there solution. Though some basic background is given in relationship to the safe and effective use of electronics in art, this is not an electrical engineering course and the University and instructor assume no liability in its use by students. This course assumes students involved in the use and fabrication of electrical and electronic components in their work have familiarity or prior knowledge in using electricity. It is assumed students will always use the best judgment possible and will never attempt electrical work that is beyond the scope of their technical expertise or understanding. Students assume all liability in its use, and are entirely responsible and culpable for using electricity safely.