Professor:
Eduardo Navas (ean13@psu.edu)
Office hours: Wed and
Fri 11 to 12 PM, 206 Art Cottage
History
of Digital Art is a survey class that offers participants an opportunity to
examine the humanistic aspects of contemporary digital art. Through readings
and direct interaction with digital media and digital artists, the class will
develop an appreciation of the ways in which the interface between human beings
and technology has been historically constructed and is subject to critical
investigation. The goal of the class is to prepare each student so that she or
he may engage with digital media in a way that is ever more historically and
socially relevant.
Students
will address the ways in which digital technologies transform artistic
practices such as museum display, the writing of art criticism, the definition
of works of art, changing role of the artist and the changing space of the art
studio. More important, however, by engaging with digital works of art students
will learn to think critically about technology and its engagement with culture
at large. They will be encouraged to think about the political, economic and
social impact of digital technologies. This humanistic approach to technology
makes this course particularly useful to students of art history, philosophy,
comparative literature, art education, and the visual/plastic arts. A
significant portion of the course will be devoted to the ways in which art on
the Internet and digital art in general challenge the integrity of categories
such as race and national identity.
Class will consist of lectures and
discussions of works that are important in the history of digital art. Students will lead class discussions
each week for assigned readings that will complement in-class lectures. There
will be two major papers, the first to be delivered during the middle of the
term, and the second at the end.
For each paper students will need to write concisely about works of art
and topics and themes discussed in class throughout the term. Students will be
expected to post reactions to in-class discussions on Angel forums. Forum postings will be considered part
of your class participation.
Learning
Outcomes:
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 studentÕs 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.
Academic Integrity
Statement
University Policies and Rules Guidelines states that academic integrity is the pursuit of
scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. Academic
integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The
Pennsylvania State University, and all members of the University community are
expected to act in accordance with this principle. Consistent with this
expectation, the University's Code of Conduct states that all students should
act with personal integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights and
property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed
through the fruits of their efforts. Academic integrity includes a commitment
not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or
deception. Such acts of dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical principles
of the University community and compromise the worth of work completed by
others.
Academic dishonesty includes but
is not limited to acts such as cheating on exams or assignments; plagiarizing
the words or ideas of another; fabricating information or citations;
facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others; claiming authorship of work
done by another person; submitting work completed in previous classes; and/or
submitting the same work to multiple classes in which a student is enrolled
simultaneously.
Accessibility
Statement
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities. The Office for Disability Services (ODS) Web site provides contact information for every Penn State campus: http://equity.psu.edu/ods/dcl. For further information, please visit the Office for Disability Services Web site: http://equity.psu.edu/ods.
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation: http://equity.psu.edu/ods/guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campusÕs disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Safety Information
Students in the School of Visual Arts may find themselves working in the shop or in their studios or classrooms using a variety of power and hand held equipment, which may cause injury. Students should use the shop only after having received an orientation in the use of such equipment and when supervised by faculty or shop personnel. Should any injuries occur, in the shop, studios, or classrooms in the School of Visual Arts please report them to Matt Olson, Shop Supervisor, Room 108-A Visual Arts Building, Phone: 814-865-3962, email: mjo5165@psu.edu.
Available at the bookstore:
Digital
Culture by
Charlies Gere
A
Companion to Digital Art By Christiane Paul
Recommended:
Digital
Art
by Christiane Paul
New
Media Art by Mark Tribe & Reena Jana
Available online at https://wiki.brown.edu/confluence/display/MarkTribe/New+Media+Art
Course
Requirements
Please
note that final grades are dependent upon consistent performance in all course
requirements.
Grading
Total 100%
Grade
Scale
Letter grade assignments are as
follows:
Attendance
Semester
Schedule
Check
Angel for readings aside from the assigned books as noted in the schedule
below. Also make sure to purchase
the required books when they become available at the university bookstore. There may be more readings in additions
to the basic ones below. Check Syllabus
link on Angel for updated reading materials.
Week
1:
Introduction | Brief overview of the
History of Digital Art
Wednesday,
January 9, 2019
Lecture on Modernism, Postmodernism and
New Media | Early discussion on HopkinsÕs
ÒPostmodernism: Theory and Practice in the 1980s,Ó After Modern Art: 1945 – 2000, pp. 197 – 231 (PDF).
Friday,
January 11, 2019
Preliminary discussion on David
Hopkins, ÒPostmodernism: Theory and Practice in the 1980s,Ó After Modern Art: 1945 – 2000, pp.
197 – 231 (PDF) + selected
art projects.
Week
2:
Monday,
January 14, 2019
Read and be ready to discuss:
David Hopkins, ÒPostmodernism: Theory
and Practice in the 1980s,Ó After Modern
Art: 1945 – 2000, pp. 197 – 231 (PDF) + selected art projects.
Wednesday,
January 16, 2019
Continue discussion of Hopkins,
introduction to Charlies GereÕs book. Begin discussion online for weekly
readings.
Friday,
January 18, 2019
Lab day to post response to readings on
Canvas due by midnight.
Week
3:
Monday,
January 21, 2019
Martin
Luther King Day, No Classes
Wednesday,
January 23, 2019
Read and be ready to discuss:
Charlie Gere, Digital Culture, ÒPrefaceÓ and ÒIntroduction,Ó 7 – 20 + selected
art projects.
Friday,
January 25, 2019
Continue Lecture on Gere, ÒPrefaceÓ and
ÒIntroductionÓ
Begin discussion online for weekly
readings.
Week
4:
Lab day to post response to readings on
Canvas due by midnight.
Wednesday,
January 30, 2019
Read and be ready to discuss:
Charlie Gere, ÒChapter 1: The
Beginnings of Digital Culture,Ó Digital
Culture, 21 – 50 + selected art projects.
Friday,
February 1, 2019
Continue Lecture on Gere, ÒThe
Beginnings of Digital Culture.Ó
Week
5:
Lab day to post response to readings on
Canvas due by midnight.
Wednesday,
February 6, 2019
Read and be ready to discuss:
Gere, ÒChapter 2: The Cybernetic EraÓ Digital Culture, 51 – 78 + selected
art projects.
Friday,
February 8, 2019
Continue Lecture on Gere, ÒThe
Cybernetic Era.Ó
Week
6:
Monday,
February 11, 2019
Read and be ready to discuss:
Gere, ÒChapter 3: The Digital Avant-Garde,Ó Digital Culture, 79 - 115 + selected art projects.
Wednesday,
February 13, 2019
Lab day to post response for ÒThe
Cybernetic EraÓ to readings on Canvas due by midnight.
Friday,
February 15, 2019
Lab day to post response for ÒThe
Digital Avant GardeÓ to readings on Canvas due by midnight.
Week
7:
Monday,
February 18, 2019
Midterm
Essay Released
Read and be ready to discuss:
Gere, ÒChapter 4: The Digital Counter Culture,Ó Digital Culture, 116 – 153 + selected art projects.
Wednesday,
February 20, 2019
Continue Lecture on Gere, ÒThe Digital
Counter Culture.Ó
Friday,
February 22, 2019
Discussion takes place from Friday,
February 23, to Sunday, February 25, 2018.
Week
8:
Monday,
February 25, 2019
Read and be ready to discuss Gere,
ÒChapter 5: Digital Resistances,Ó Digital
Culture, 154 – 200 + selected art projects.
Wednesday,
February 27, 2019
Midterm
Essay Due
Friday,
March 1, 2019
Lab day to post response to readings on
Canvas due by midnight.
Week
9:
March
4 - 8, 2019
Spring
Break
Week
10:
Read and be ready to discuss:
Gere, ÒChapter 6: Digital NatureÓ and
ÒChapter 7: Digital Culture in the Twenty-first Century,Ó Digital Culture, 201 – 224 + selected art projects.
Wednesday,
March 13, 2019
Continue Lecture on Gere, ÒDigital
NatureÓ and ÒDigital Culture in the Twenty-first Century.Ó
Friday,
March 15, 2019
Lab day to post response to readings on
Canvas due by midnight.
Week
11:
Monday,
March 18, 2019
Lab Day, Read:
Jennifer Way, ÒDigital Art at the Interface of Technology and
Feminism,Ó 181 – 202.
Wednesday,
March 20, 2019
Be ready to discuss:
Jennifer Way, ÒDigital Art at the Interface of Technology and
Feminism,Ó 181 – 202.
Friday,
March 22, 2019
Continue
Lecture on WayÕs ÒDigital Art at the Interface of Technology
and Feminism.Ó
Week
12:
Lab day to post response to readings on
Canvas due by midnight.
Wednesday,
March 27, 2019
Read and be ready to discuss:
M. Beatrice Fazi and Matthew Fuller, ÒComputational
Aesthetics,Ó 281 – 296.
Friday,
March 29, 2019
Continue Lecture on Fazi and Fuller,
ÒComputational Aesthetics.Ó
Week
13:
Monday,
April 1, 2019
Lab day to post response to readings on
Canvas due by midnight.
Wednesday,
April 3, 2019
Final
Essay Guidelines Released (two parts)
Read and be ready to discuss:
Olga Goriunova, ÒParticipatory
Platforms and the Emergence of Art,Ó 297 – 311.
Friday,
April 5, 2019
Continue Lecture on Goriunova, ÒParticipatory
Platforms and the Emergence of Art.Ó
Week
14:
Monday,
April 8, 2019
Lab day to post response to readings on
Canvas due by midnight.
Wednesday,
April 10, 2019
Read and be ready to discuss:
Edward A. Shanken, ÒContemporary Art and
New Media: Digital Divide or Hybrid Discourse?Ó 463 – 481
Friday,
April 12, 2019
Continue Lecture on Shanken, ÒContemporary
Art and New Media: Digital Divide or Hybrid Discourse?Ó
Week
15:
Lab day to post response to readings on
Canvas due by midnight.
Wednesday,
April 17, 2019
Read and be ready to discuss:
Sarah Cook with Aneta Krzemień
Barkley, ÒThe Digital Arts In and Out of the Institution—Where to Now?Ó
494 – 515.
.
Friday,
April 19, 2019
Continue Lecture on Shanken, ÒSimulations
and Simulacra.Ó
Week
16
Monday,
April 22, 2019
Lab day to post response to readings on
Canvas due by midnight.
Wednesday,
April 24, 2019
Review of Materials for Final
Project/Essay
Friday,
April 26, 2018
Final Essay Due
Week
17:
Friday,
May 3, 2018
Revision of Final essay