ARTS 2040 Computer Arts Spring 2000

FULL SCHEDULE

Tuesday, Friday 12pm-2pm Sage Building, Classroom # 4510

Class Website: www.rpi.edu/~huntea/computer_art/

Instructor: Allison Hunter [al@allisonhunter.com]

Office hours: tba

General Description

Computer Art is a second-level studio project course in electronic imaging. Students will expand their skills and techniques in digital photography and image processing for digital printing, web, and interactive multimedia. Innovation and experimentation are highly encouraged. Issues in art theory, history, and practice are discussed in relation to this emerging medium.

Throughout this course, we will be using Adobe Photoshop for image manipulation, and Macromedia Dreamweaver for Web page creation. Knowledge of Adobe Photoshop is absolutely essential to this course. We are not going to be covering the basics of image manipulation. Students who are familiar with Macromedia Flash and Director may use these programs for interactivity.

Attendance Policy

Faithful class attendance and participation is expected. Complete all of the work, and turn it in on time. Do the readings and come prepared to ask questions. Integrate the readings into your studio practice. Contribute to the discussions.

Missing more than 6 class sessions for the semester will result in an F for the course. Late assignments will drop one letter grade for each day they are late.

Required Materials

Zip cartridges or other back-up media

Campus account, including printing account

Reading Packet

There will be a short course pack for this course.

Grades

(20) Projects 1 and 2 are worth 10 points each

(50) Project 3 contains written and visual work.

The written component of Project 3 is worth a total of 10 points.
The first draft of your proposal is worth 5 points.
The second draft is worth 5 points.

The visual component of Project 3 consists of two 'drafts' a rough or working version and a final version.
The rough version is worth 20 points.
The final version is worth 20 points.

(20) Class Presentation on Computer Artists

(10) Class participation.

Class Presentations on Computer Artists

(Check out the schedule for your assigned day)

Presentation GUIDELINES

You will be presenting at least one artist whose work involves electronic media to the class on a lecture day. You will be expected to lead a class discussion after introducing the artist’s work.

EAPS Events

EAPS, the Electronic Arts Performance Series, brings visiting artists and lecturers to RPI campus and other locations in the community. The EAPS events for this semester are included in this syllabus. Attendance at these events is recommended, but not mandatory. Many of the visiting artists work with the issues we will be dealing with in class.

This information in this document is subject to change based on students' progress.

Project 1 Artist Statement (due 9/15)

Statement Guidelines

Write a page-length description of your goals and motivations as an artist, specifically why you choose to work in an electronic medium. If at this time, you are not committed to this art form, write why you are investigating it. Include background experience. The artist statement is an important piece of an artist's portfolio usually required by a gallery, curator, or other interested party. It can be used to explain why you may or may not have a CV full of shows, or your political commitment to doing certain work. In a sense, it's a resume written in prose expressly for an art audience. Post your statement to your Web page.

Project 2 Appropriated Images (due 10/13)
Appropriated Imagery Guidelines

Scan an image (thrift store, magazine, friend, street, Web home page) you find compelling. Digitally alter the image in a way that expresses your feelings about the mood using image manipulation techniques such as: erasure, tinting, and slicing. Think about how the use of your found photo frees you or constrains you as an artist. Does this raise issues of authorship, ownership, and originality for you? Does this feel liberating? Think of other artists who have worked this way using older techniques (Rauschenberg, Warhol, and Sherrie Levine).

Project 3 - FINAL PROJECT
Create a Piece for a Digital Journal

More on Project 3

You will create an art work for a hypothetical CD-Rom art journal. Your piece can be a still work, a game, an ‘essay’, or other piece. We will look at examples of existing journal(s) in class.

Part 1 (due 10/27)

You will write a query letter to an existing journal explaining your project and why you think its relevant to art today.

Part 2 (due date to be announced)

Your completed work will be ready for submission.

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