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DXARTS 202: FUNDAMENTALS OF DIGITAL AND EXPERIMENTAL ART T-Th 4:30-6:20, Raitt 105
Instructors
Heather Raikes, hraikes@u.washington.edu
Office hours -
by appointment
Max Keene, maxelk@u.washington.edu
Office hours - Monday 10:30 - 12:30, Thursday 1:30 - 2:30 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, studio seminars, lab sessions, and development of a culminating final project.
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, or the extended social life of digital art. This class will introduce core conceptual foundations and technical skills intrinsic to digital media in the generative and investigative context of a 10-week art making process.
CLASS OVERVIEW AND FORMAT
The class is divided in to three phases.
Phase 1 includes intensive reading, discussion, brainstorming, and student response to selected texts and artworks that illuminate critical dimensions of the digital paradigm. During Phase 1, students will complete the ideation/project proposal process and develop a project concept architecture.
Phase 2 is an intensive overview of specific artistic paradigms and production techniques at the core of the DXARTS program - 3D Art, Mechatronics, Digital Sound, Video Art, and New Media Performance - in conjunction with exploration of relevant readings and artworks. During Phase 2, students will develop a proof of concept or project prototype.
Phase 3 is a production laboratory that will support the development of student artworks and culminate in the final project presentation. Phase 3 will also include an ongoing collaborative exploration of contemporary media art and artists.
COURSE GOALS
- Creation of an experimental art work.
- Development of thorough process in support of experimental art work production, including concept architecture, proof of concept/prototype, production plan, and documentation.
- Utilization of intermediate techniques for digital art production.
- Exploration of digital and experimental theory and art works in the context of creative process.
- Integration of aesthetic ideas, historical influences, cultural references, and theoretical frameworks in conceptualization and execution of artwork.
- Build collaborative community among new DXARTS majors.
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND REQUIREMENTS
- Attend lectures, workshops, labs and critiques
- Participate in discussions
- Complete all projects, readings and assignments.
- Complete smaller research and reading assignments following the concepts, methods or techniques discussed in class, as relevant to your project.
- 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
All readings will be posted online. This list is subject to change.
ART PROJECT
Students will be working on a single art project throughout the quarter. The project consists of 6 components:
- Blog: develop a blog to reflect and communicate the development of your project.
- Ideation/Proposal: collection of ideas and distillation of them into a solid concept for your piece. Once you have a clear idea of what you would like to achieve you fashion these ideas into a succinct project proposal.
- Concept Architecture: a short presentation that provides a multi-dimensional foundation for your concept, including sketches, descriptions, connections to other artworks, relevant texts, historical influences, cultural references, etc.
- Prototype: a proof of concept demo - i.e. a short presentation (5 to 10 minutes) where you pitch the project to the class, showing some images, blueprints, sounds, etc. The prototype also needs to be accompanied by a production plan for completion of the 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 for progress on your piece every week.
- Presentation/Documentation: final presentation of the project in conjunction with completion of the blog that details and communicates project progress. 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 to the final form.
For a detailed timeline of your projects visit the Schedule page.
If you need to make use of any DxArts or Cartah equipment for your project you will need to make a formal proposal to Cartah. [proposal link]
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.
Grade Breakdown:
- Project Proposal - 10%
- Concept Architecture - 10%
- Prototype - 10%
- Production Phase 1 - 10%
- Production Phase 2 - 10%
- Final Project - 20%
- Blog/Documentation - 10%
- Participation - 20%
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.
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