Arts 22 Conceptual Strategies


Schedule Spring 2002		Arts 22 Conceptual Strategies in Digital Media Instructor: George Legrady office: room 2222 Art Studio, tel 893.2026 Lecture Thursdays 6-8pm TA Section: Christopher August TA Section: Luke Matjas
		Conceptual Strategies is the introductory course to the digital area of the Art Studio program. The course promotes an approach that explores how information and digital technologies are reshaping cultural communication. Its focus is the investigation of digital technology as a medium rather than as a tool. The course will introduce topics specific to digital technologies and interactive media. These include the production of signs (semiotics), narrative, metaphor and their relation to interface design and interactivity. A number of brief projects will be given in conjunction with specific technical applications. They may include listing & classification, the autobiographical index, Chance and noise, Nature/culture, the Icon/sign, Mapping, information systems, cultural framework analysis. Grading & Course Requirements - See Screen Bottom


W1 April 4		Course Introduction
		Data and Information: Collecting, Classifying (systems of classification, Associative thinking) Inventory, etc.
References		The Ambassadors, Holbein Things Spoken, Agnes Hegedus Portable effects, Rachel Strickland H \| U \| M \| B \| O \| T Pockets Full of Memories, Legrady Plumb Design (Smithsonian Project, Visual Thesaurus)

Project I		Inventory of Cultural Artifacts (lists and tables)

W2 April 11		Data Basics: numeric binary on/off, bits, metadata, syllogisms, fuzzy Logic
		Classification Methods for Information Design, Properties and Attributes Processing: Data is processed thru algorithms (SOM)
References		5 objects lay-out demo
Project 2		5 Objects (5 objects in-class presentation that explores classification, associative relations, multiple levels of meaning, various methods of ordering)

Event April 15		Luc Courschene Digital Media Lecture IHC McCune Conference Center
W3 April 18		Claude Shannon's Information Theory, Signal & Noise, Image processing & Photoshop
		(pixels, DPI, etc., image depth, bit settings, channels, alpha channel, layers; contrast, tonal balance with histograms; manipulation of image sub-sections for image correction, random noise) Artists: Lebbeus Woods [1] [2], Michael Naimark, jodi
References		Web research on Information Theory, Signal-to-noise
Project 2		To be presented in sections

Event April 22		Johan Grimonprez Digital Media Lecture IHC McCune Conference Center
W4 April 25		Form & Design
		Concept, composition, balance, consistency, relative importance, articulation, aesthetics, color, spacing, time

References		MIT Maeda Aesthetics & Computational group Bits & Spaces, Norm, nomemory kleber, fork, BruceMau Hodges, Sasnett, Multimedia Computing, Addison Wesley, Chapters 4,5
Project 2		5 Objects (website design)

Event April 29		Lev Manovich Digital Media Lecture E-studio, Art Studio
W5 May 2		Semiotics: the study of signs (symbol, index, icon) & Algorithmic Art

References		Designers’ Republic, whitneybiennial ascii art ensemble YH-CHANG designing a sign for 10000 years in the future
Project 3		Noise/signal or semiotics (logo)

Event May 6		Digital Media Lecture IHC McCune Conference Center (TBA)
W6 May 9		Metaphors & Interface: (folder, trash, clock, finger)

References		Rita Raleys' links on contemporary narrative hypertext art Terry Winogrand Human Computer Interaction (HCI)
Project 3		Noise/signal or semiotics (logo) complete

Event May 14		Digital Media Lecture IHC McCune Conference Center (TBA)
W7 May 17		Imaginative Mappings, Networks, Nodes, links

References		Mapping Cyberspace, Dodge & Kitchin wonderwalker, Lisa Jevbratt, webstalker, cybergeography
Project 4		Mapping and/or TA's choice

W8 May 23		Multi-linear Narrative
		MID-TERM research paper due
References		Jordan Crandall Mark America's links Giselle Beiguelman
Project 4		Mapping and/or TA's choice

W9 May 30		Net.Art & Mixed Realities Installations

References		Stelarc, Vasulka, Telegarden, Masaki Fujihata Natalie Boochkin's History of Net.Art
Project 4		Mapping and/or TA's choice

W10 June 6		MAT Survey Course & Other Various Resources

References		Artificial Life (neural nets, VR, agents, gaming, genetic algorithms, etc.)
Project 4		Mapping and/or TA's choice

		Bibliography
Art, Design		An Anecdoted Topography of Chance, Spoerri Envisioning Information, Tufte
Concept development		Conceptual Blockbusting, Adams, Norton Information Architecture, Resenfeld O'reilly Press Your Private Sky, Buckminster Fuller, Müller Publishers
Technical Books & Sites		Dreamweaver 4, Towers, Peachpit press html 4, Castro, Peachpit press Dhtml, Teague, Peachpit press

		Grading & Course Requirements The course is work intensive. You are required to acquire technical skills, do web research followed by weekly reports, write a mid-term research paper (in digital form), develop good design and conceptual skills, attend the lectures, the sections and the Monday evening Digital Media lectures. As your projects will go online, they also must function properly on the internet. Your projects will be evaluated on creativity and "play of the imagination". The theorist Umberto Eco argues that we are born into language, we cannot be outside of it. All we can do is to play with its rules, turning things inside out. This will require extensive web research on your part, becoming familiar with the state of the digital media arts discipline. Use your cultural knowledge but go beyond your current everyday situation. Produce projects that address the larger world, that can speak to a diversified audience, and also to yourself five, ten years from now. You will be graded on: Attendance and participation in class Completion of all assignments Attendance at the digital Media Lecture series Website research and reports, Mid-term paper Projects are graded on Innovative content, good design and technical skills.