Penn State University ­ School of Visual Arts

Fall 2011

ART 416 Advanced Web and Net Art: Multimedia Publishing

Professor: Eduardo Navas (ean13@psu.edu)

T Th 02:30P - 05:30P

 

Course Description

This is a studio art class that focuses on creating, authoring, exhibiting, and discussing online art and design practice. "Net Art" has become an important form of new media art creation and exhibition. The course explores experimental uses of new media in the visual arts with emphasis on integrating net art and design practice in cyberspace with current studio practices in two, three, and four (time based) dimensional art. In addition to the actual creation of new media artworks, the course will engage students in research methods to advance their skills in new media art and design and help them to develop an understanding of the critical evaluation and assessment of new media artworks created specifically for the web. The course will also explore various methods and strategies for exhibiting and publishing artworks on the web and creating online portfolios.

 

The course will examine and explore the potentials of net-based art through lectures, readings, demonstrations, creative practice in studio, critiques, and actual web-published exhibitions. Assignments will cover a range of digital multimedia applications in sound, image, motion, interactivity, interface design, and media authoring.

 

Focus of Class

The class focuses specifically on online video analysis and production.  Students will learn how time-based media has become a ubiquitous form of online communication in art and design.  Students will learn how to analyze and produce video as a form of communication in art and design.  Video mashups will be studied carefully in order to provide students with critical analysis skills, while also developing hands on experience on how to produce material for a project of their own.  Students will be expected to develop a project proposal, which will be presented at the end of class for critique.

 

Class will consist of discussions of various new media projects.  It will also include an extended study of the emerging field of cultural analytics, which will provide students with the necessary skills to make a careful decision on their final project.

 

Class Structure

Class sections will be divided as follows: on Tuesdays, the first half of the class (depending on time of project deadlines) will consist of lecture by the instructor, as well as discussion of readings.  Assignment will usually be due and critiqued on Tuesdays. On Thursdays, class will consist of in class work time, students will be expected to turn in their weekly assignment at the end of Thursdayıs session by uploading it to Angel at the end of each class section. The students will turn in a total of 4 projects and a brief critical evaluation. Details on each project will be announced at least within two weeks of the date when they are due.

 

 

Learning Outcomes:

  1. To understand how form and content are combined to communicate a message.
  2. To understand the basic history and theory that is relevant to art and visual culture.
  3. To acquire a basic understanding of conceptual models important in visual culture and especially new media and net art‹in case in accordance to video production.
  4. To gain practical knowledge of the different tools used for art practice in new media and net art, and their relation to previous developments.
  5. To produce critically engaged projects.

 

A Note on Plagiarism

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. A student who commits plagiarism will be reported to the office of the visual arts. The studentıs behavior will be taken very seriously and dealt with according to the guidelines provided by Penn State University ­ School of Visual Arts. To avoid plagiarism, please cite your sources when appropriate.

 

 

Required Readings

Net Works: Case Studies in Web Art and Design by xtine burrough, Routledge

New Media Art by Reena Jana and Mark Tribe, Thames and Hudson

 

 

Course Requirements

Please note that final grades are dependent upon consistent performance in all course

requirements.

 

Grading

 

Total 100%

 

Note: Weekly assignments are worth an overall of 5% of your grade, and linked to attendance on Thursdays (when they are due at the end of class). Not turning your weekly assignments on time will also affect your attendance, as it will be considered equivalent to an absence.

 

Grade Scale

Letter grade assignments are as follows:

 

 

Attendance

 

 

 

 

Office hours: Mondays, 12 to 2 PM by appointment

 

 

Semester Schedule

Note that the class includes a series of short exercises, which are considered part of class participation. These exercises are designed to complement the successful completion of your projects. Lectures on history and theory will take place according to the studentsı needs to gain practical knowledge from week to week.

 

Week 1:

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Overview of class | Introduction to first project | Research methodology |

Begin research process for first assignment | Lecture on art production and design |

First reading assigned

 

 

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Lab Time: Weekly assignment due at the end of class session

 

 

Week 2:

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Discussion of first reading | Lecture on web development | update on research: sketches, sources, notes, etc.

 

 

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Lab Time: Weekly assignment due at the end of class session

 

 

 

 

Week 3:

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Lecture on video analysis | update on research: sketches, sources, notes, etc. | Examples

 

 

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Lab Time: Weekly Assignment due at the end of class session

 

 

Week 4:

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

DUE:  First project | In-class Critique | Introduction to second project | Second reading assigned

 

 

 

 

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Lab Time: Weekly Assignment due at the end of class session

 

 

Week 5:

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Discuss second reading | Update on research: sketches, sources, notes, etc.

 

 

Thrusday, September 22, 2011

Lab Time: Work on second assignment: upload progress at the end of class session

 

 

Week 6:

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

DUE: Second Project | In-class critique | Third reading assigned | Introduction to brief critical essay assignment

 

 

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Lab Time: Work on in-class written assignment, due at the end of class.

 

 

Week 7:

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

DUE:  Essay | update on research: sources, notes, etc.

 

 

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Lab Time: Work on assigned Weekly assignment, due at the end of class.

 

Week 8:

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Third reading discussed | Introduction to third assignment | Fourth reading assigned

 

 

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Lab Time: Work on weekly assignment, due at the end of class

 

 

Week 9:

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Fourth reading discussed | Introduction to third assignment | Web Development lecture | Fifth reading assigned

 

 

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Lab Time: Work on weekly assignment, due at the end of class

 

 

Week 10:

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

DUE: Third assignment | fifth reading discussed | Web Development Lecture | update on development of third assignment | Sixth reading assigned

 

 

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Lab Time: Work on weekly assignment, due at the end of class

 

 

Week 11:

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Introduction to Final Assignment (Final assignment will be developed in response to at least one of the readings discussed in class) | Lecture on art production | Examples

 

 

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Lab Time: Work on weekly assignment, due at the end of class

 

 

Week 12:

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Fifth reading discussed | update on research: sketches, sources, notes, etc. | sixth reading assigned | Web Development Lecture

 

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Lab Time; Work on weekly assignment, due a the end of class

 

 

Week 13:

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

sixth reading discussed | Update on research: sketches, sources, notes, etc. |

 

 

 

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Lab Time: Work on weekly assignment, due at the end of class

 

 

Week 14:

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Thanksgiving

 

 

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thanksgiving

 

 

Week 15:

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

 Work in Class | Update on research: sketches, sources, notes, etc.

 

 

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Work in class

 

 

 

 

Week 16:

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Feedback before final project by class and instructor

 

 

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Work in class

 

 

 

Week 17:

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Final Project Due, see Penn Stateıs Final Schedule