2006F


Instructor




Arts 130 Visual Art As Culture
George Legrady


Seminar Meetings: Thurs 10:00-11:30am, Fridays 10:00-11:30am - Arts1340
Description

The course will address the nature and influence of images in contemporary society, and their transformation in the digital econo-political culture with the intent to address the question: "How does culture impose its ideologies to define what a particular society determines as appropriate modes of visual representation? Students are introduced to contemporary and historical directions and methodologies through seminar lectures, research presentations, and a final project.

Legrady Mixed Resources
20th Century Media History
arts 130 mailing list
09.28 Course Overview




Definition of Visual Culture. Art derives from culture. Culture changes and so does art. Berger's Ways of Seeing.
09.29 Visual Culture: From Science to Commerce to Art





Reading/Report
 "What is Visual Culture?" Descriptions of the discipline's origins, and various focii

The mechanical-electronic image in: art, media art, the sciences, commerce, and the news

Ridley Scott commercials
Analyse/deconstruct an image: Post at arts 130 mailing list
10.05 Semiotics




Semiotics is the study of Signs: Terms & Basic Definitions

Daniel Chandlers: "Semiotics for Beginners"
10.06 What is an Image?



Reading
 Doodles, abstract, Holbein, Velasque, image movement, the scientific image, etc.
"What is an image?"

Barthes' "Rhetoric of the image" [Download article] [Panzani Billboard ] [Notes]
10.12 What is an Algorithm?
Basics of algorithmic procedures
10.13 Chapter 1: Technology as Tool


Reading
 Digital Art, Christiane Paul, Thames & Hudson, UK 2003

Digital Art, Christiane Paul (Introduction (Background), Chapter 1: Technology as Tool)
10.19 Communication Basics


Propositions
Synthetic
Value
Analytical

Basic structure of communication, Claude Shannon's Information Theory [notes]

A.J.Ayer: Language, Truth & Logic
When the validity of a statement is determined by the facts of experience
An evaluation, expressions of feeling, ethical, moral terms
Defines the form of the communication, linguistic structure, etc. devoid of factual content
10.20 Digital Basics




Review
 Bits/Bytes, hexadecimal, sampling rate, cartesian grids (x,y), pixels, DPI, etc., image depth, bit settings, channels, alpha channel, layers; contrast, tonal balance with histograms; random noise. Filters: blur, sharpen, flip, rotate, scale, colorize, etc. Introduction to Processing

Students select one of the ACM projects for study, analysis and review
10.26 Types of Media Art
Intersections of Art, Science, Technology & Culture, Information Arts, Steve Wilson
10.27 ACM Exhibition Panel Presentation


Reading
 Panel of ACM exhibition artists discussing their work

Digital Art, Christiane Paul (Chapter 2: Technology as Medium)
11.02 Visual/Design Culture



Directions in Visualization. Language, Semiotics, Visual Form. Data visualization. Information Visualization, Mapping.

11.03 Directions in Media Arts

Reading
Digital Art, Christiane Paul (Chapter 3: Directions in Media Arts)

11.09 Wes Smith Projects

11.10   Holiday
 
11:16 Massive Change: Bruce Mau Interview [2]
 
11.17 Massive Change: Image Economies, pp107-126
Marie Sester Exposure
Genomic Art: Nancy Burson | Aziz Cucher | Manglano-Ovalle [2]
Art News |
 
11.23   Thanksgiving
     
11.24   Thanksgiving
 
11:30 Massive Change: Material Economies, pp 141-167
Snow Show
John Roloff (Geology, kilns, large scale photography)
Earth & Land Art
Transmaterial / TransStudio
Tachi Lab Camouflage
ascii art [1][2] (mindaugas gapsevicius)
 
12.01 Timo Honkela Natural Language Processing IGERT Lecture
 
12.07 Massive Change: Military Economies, pp 159-178
Survival Research Labs
Peljhan System-77 | Makrolab | Space |
Surveillance | robotics & machine art
 
12.08 The News & Visual Culture
Dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y | SPIN
 
12.14 Grades are Assigned