Thursday 4pm-10pm. (Dinner break from 6-7)
Brown Center 206
Contact:jrouvelle@mica.edu
Office: Brown Center, room 211, phone (in
office).
Office hours: by appointment
________________________________________________________________________
Course Description
Interactive Media III
is studio course that offers an overview of the tools, aesthetics, and cultural
paradigms at the intersection of computing, art, design, interaction and
communication. Students will be introduced to an array of multimedia tools and
techniques used in the production and authoring of graphics, text, animation,
video, and sound. The goal of the
course is to develop a familiarity with the materials of this evolving medium,
along with practical and critical skills essential to the creation and
interpretation of digital and electronic art forms.
Students are not expected to become experts in any software
application. This course is not a
"software training" course. Students are expected to learn the basics
of the technology, make progress in their understanding of the tools I will
introduce, and to make the best artwork they can. It is the intention of the course to explore the computer as
a tool for making art, with the various software applications, readings, and
presentations offering a context.
I
ask that you approach our work with a sense of experimentation, and a
willingness to explore its possibilities for you. In other words, to approach our work as artists: to reveal
combinations, forms, perspectives, and patterns that, while speaking to
personal sensibilities, engage others on the grounds of invention, discovery,
beauty, and sincerity.
At
the conclusion of our time together we will organize an exhibition in and
around the Rosenberg Gallery of our work together.
This class, although carefully planned, will be a work in progress as I
come to know you, and you me. I am
very excited to be here and look forward to becoming familiar with your work
and interests. Please feel free to contact me for any reason regarding our
class. Communication goes a long way to ensure a good environment and
successful experience.
________________________________________________________________________
A
significant element in your final grade will be your final project, which will
be presented to the class for critique and be installed in the final exhibition
in the Rosenberg Gallery. You are free to make your work out of whatever media
you like. It is essential that the
work have a clear interactive feature.
We will discuss this thoroughly during class. You will also have to make
it available to visitors to the show.
We will discuss this as the semester progresses. It is also essential that you document
your work - this is a skill that
will benefit all of your future undertakings. Stategies and techniques of documentation will be a
significant part of our coursework.
You will have ample time to work on your project during the final third
of the semester. During this time
I will make a point of meeting with each of you individually. During our ninth class I will ask each
of you to submit a brief proposal for your final project. The point is this is for me to work out
technical needs, and to get an idea of what you are thinking about.
Evaluation:
Grades in this course will be based on regular class
attendance, the quality of your work, class participation, and progress. Tardiness and excessive absences will
adversely affect your grade.
Participation in discussions and critiques is mandatory.
Projects & Grading:
Students will be graded by letter, A-F, on all evaluated
work. Work must be completed on
time and in full satisfaction of each project goal. Late work (assignments handed in or posted after the start
of in-class critique sessions) will be automatically downgraded by one letter
grade.
A
|
Well above the expectations of the
course. Outstanding
participation, attendance, and exceptional progress. |
B
|
Above average assignments and participation.
No more than one absence. |
C
|
Average execution of assignments,
participation, and no more than two absences. |
D
|
Well below average: work, attendance (two
absences), projects, and participation. |
F
|
Unsatisfactory: work, attendance (more than
two absences), projects, and participation |
Attendance:
Two or more unexcused absences from class may
result in failure. Two unexcused
late arrivals, or early departures (eg, not returning from lunch, or other
unexplained disappearance) will be marked as the equivalent of one absence. Absence from a class is not an excuse
for skipping a tutorial, reading assignment, or posting an assignment. You are fully responsible for
completing work.
Readings:
Readings and tutorials will often be delivered
through the web - via links (URLs). Critiques will frequently be initiated from
various topics covered in the readings - in other words, please use the
concepts you read about in discussion of fellow students' work.
Supplies:
Please bring to each class: 1-2 CD-R(s) -
Recordable Compact Discs (700 MB). You'll probably go through many of them, for
both this and other digital classes.
You might also want to bring in a sharpie to label your CD's.
It
is essential that all work done in class be saved to CD-R at the conclusion of
class. There will be many, many
other students using these computers and anything saved on them will be
permanently removed shortly after the conclusion of class.
Software Consultant:
If you are having trouble becoming acquainted
with the software we will be using please see the software consultant.
Who: Bill Berry
Where: Bunting 222
When: Monday: 3-5, Tuesday; 10:30-12:30,
Saturday; 1-3
Food and Drink in the Computer Labs:
No.
ADA COMPLIANCE:
In MICA's efforts to provide the
highest possible quality
educational experience for every
student, MICA maintains compliance with the
requirements of the ADA and Section
504. Any student who has, or suspects he or she may have, a disability and
wants to request academic accommodations
must contact Dr. Kathryn Smith at
the Learning Resource Center, 443 695-1384 or email at ksmith@mica.edu
immediately.
MICA has developed policies and
practices to ensure a healthful environment
and safe approaches to the use of
equipment, materials, and processes. It is
the mutual responsibility of faculty
and students to review health and
safety standards relevant to each
class at the beginning of each semester.
Students should be aware of general
fire, health, and safety regulations
posted in each area and course
specific polices, practices, and cautions.
Students who have concerns related
to health and safety should contact
Quentin Moseley, Environment Health
and Safety Coordinator at 410 225 0220
or email at qmoseley@mica.edu
This course is about making things interactive
Weekly Schedule
________________________________________________________________________
in class:
Introductions; course overview, resources,
registration matters,
>>Prototypes, Permaculture, and goodie
bags
This is a studio course that will culminate in
an exhibit in the Rosenberg Gallery that will open on December 8th. While I will present various things in
class, you are free to create your work out of the materials that you feel are
most appropriate to you.
The goal of the course is to have you: conceive,
prototype, refine, install, and document a project.
You will be asked to submit a final document by
the last week of school that must contain:
***We will work with you on each phase of the
project
Next week will have a meeting with Hadieh Shafie
from Career Development and she will go over how one writes a compelling artist
statement.
Next week I will ask each of you to spend a few
minutes telling the class about what it is you are interested in exploring this
semester. To facilitate this
discussion, please begin your project journal this week.
Please email both sam (jss@problemboard.com) and I (jrouvelle@mica.edu) your interests by
Monday so that we can prepare to work with you during class.
Please visit samÕs del.iciou.us page regularly:
del.iciou.us/problemboard
Some tools you might like:
some toys that you might wish for:
with our prototyping motto in mind:
something cool:
an idea of integration and sustainability:
Core
Values of Permaculture:
This may interest the artist:
O'BREDIM
is a mnemonic
based on Observation, Boundaries, Resources, Evaluation, Design, Implementation
and Maintenance.
á
The use of
patterns both in nature and reusable patterns from other sites is often key to
permaculture design. This echoes the Pattern
language of Christopher Alexander used in architecture
which has been an inspiration for many permaculture designers. All things, even
the wind, the waves and the earth on its axis, moving around the Sun, form
patterns. In pattern application, permaculture designers are encouraged to
develop: 1. Awareness of the patterns that exist in nature (and how these
function) 2. Application of pattern on sites in order to satisfy specific
design needs. "The application of pattern on a design site involves the
designer recognizing the shape and potential to fit these patterns or
combinations of patterns comfortably onto the landscape" Sampson-Kelly. We
can use branching for the direction of our paths, rather than straight paths
with square angles. Or we may use lobe-like paths of the main path (these are known
as keyhole paths) that minimize waste and compaction of the soil.
Interactive Media Swag:
Mr. Michael Dennis, a retired electronic engineer from Lancaster, pa. Has been kind enough to donate 50lbs of
electronic gizmos to our department.
We will spend the rest of class exploring these wonders.
Assignment: start you project journal, be prepared
to talk a bit about what it is that youÕd like to work on for this class. Please write in you project journal every
week. Remember that it is much
easier to edit pre-existing text than create things from scratch. If you build up a journal of projects
and document (write about) their development then writing the project statement
will be a matter of editing, rather than creating something entirely newÉ.
________________________________________________________________-
Week 2
Your brief
presentations on your intentions for the class.
conflux starts next
weekend. any volunteers?
Turbulence Ð commissioning and supporting
net art for a long timeÉ.
Machine project Ð just go there,
youÕll see.
The Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago. Founded in 1915, The Society's mission is to encourage the growth and understanding of contemporary art through exhibitions, publications, and events.
Art n Data:
á Upcoming
work at free103point9
: Live video and audio stream
from CCRT AIRtime residency at Wave Farm. Cross Current Resonance Transducer is
LoVid: Tali Hinkis & Kyle Lapidus and Douglas Repetto. During their AIRtime
residency, CCRT will focus on two projects: 1) Data Collection Devices An
analysis of signals on the electromagnetic spectrum and telluric currents
(signals in the earth) will inform CCRT's development of measurement device
sculptures. These devices exist both as aesthetic objects and as functional
monitoring mechanisms, which will enable data recordings used in future
projects. 2) Bonding Energy A web-based project commissioned by turbulence.org,
"Bonding Energy" is a model system for distributed microenergy
generation. The system suggests new ways of thinking about renewable resources
and to address global warming and climate change.
1. what
do the bold words mean to you?
á
Chris Chafe (Music) and Nikolaos
Hanselmann (Visuals) and Greg Niemeyer (Cook) team up to serve a night of
tomato music. During the last week of August, they will let 5 cases of
different varieties of tomatoes (from ChafeÕs garden) ripen to perfection at
Machine Project. They will record the ripening process by tracking the
changes in CO2 that the ripening produces. They will store the CO2
changes during the week as a time series, compress it along the time axis, and
translate the changes to a musical scale. The resulting music, a bit like a
sonic time-lapse, is a sonification of 7 days of ripening in the course of 49
minutes.
Patricia Reed/Leaky
Studios: mapping controversies
| 2005
á
About Leaky Studios/Patricia Reed
Usman Haque: environmental xml
á
About Haque Design + Research
Q: how do, if
at all, these works address the idea of data ?
Varied
offerings:
á
360
deg, holographic display
á
31 Down Ð canal st. situation
Daily Tech:
á
Leah
BuechleyÕs Boda
Blocks. She sent us a box of
them!
Assignment:
Bring in prototyping materials and
begin prototyping your project.
Write in your project journals Ð include
your research, it will come in handy later!
________________________________________________
Some important
concepts to review:
Interactive MEDIA is Cross-media, multi-surface computing.
We have defined interactive as a relationship of mutual influence.
>>An intervening substance through which something else is transmitted or carried on.
>>pl. media. Computer Science. An object or device, such as a disk, on which data is stored.
Information - often described as Ôa difference that makes a differenceÕ
The artist does his thinking in the very qualitative media he works in, and the terms lie so close to the object that they merge directly into it. - John Dewey
Does this imply that artists are superficial materialists? Hmmm. Maybe thatÕs a good thing.
>>>
Surface computing beyond Microsoft surface and Jeff HanÕs multitouch screen
Does the phrase Technological Overlay mean anything to you?
Jacob Bekenstein and the Bekenstein Bound.
The
Web is a surface.
The
Retina is a surface.
The
library is a surface.
Microsoft
surface is a surface.
Microsoft
is a surface.
Cuisine is a surface.
Experience may be the Area of the surfaces with which we are currently interacting.
Computer:
á
A person, object,
or device capable of accepting data in the form of facts and figures,
manipulating them in a prescribed way, and supplying the results of these
processes as meaningful information. This device usually consists of input and
output devices, storage, arithmetic and logic units, and a control unit.
The network, which is to say the interactivity among media, is the computer.
Forms that foster and or model interaction among media (aka cross-media, multi-surface computing).
Each is dialogic, collaborative, and cross-media.
Processes that are dialogic, collaborative, and cross-media provide access to greater, more nuanced information.
As the area (cumulative surfaces) grows, so does the knowledge within the system.
The more knowledgeable a system is, the more surfaces it includes.
A deeply knowledgeable system is a network of surfaces where no one surface contains all the information.
A deeply knowledgeable system is an example of distributed intelligence, which requires persistent interaction among its parts to maintain its level of knowledge.
A deeply knowledgeable system
provides deeply nuanced information.
á In
order to do so it is continually self-organizing so that different combinations
of surfaces are prominent at different moments to meet the needs of specific
moments.
á This
means that no one surface (person, object), or combination of surfaces is
ALWAYS dominating, but, inevitably, there is a hierarchy at each moment.
á A
deeply knowledgeable system is an example of a shifting, distributed hierarchy.
A deeply knowledgeable system will
contain irresolvable conflicts and paradoxes.
á There
is no one answer, there are multiple answers and questions which exist
simultaneously.
á As
each moment is hierarchal, however, most moments will present themselves as, primarily,
Ôone or the otherÕ (true, false, happy, sad, red, blue, loud, soft, etc.).
á This
is a paradox.
Cross-Media, multi-surface computing is a practice of active, persistent integration and dialogue among and between various elements and categories within a given environment for the purpose of greater knowledge and deeper experience.
Interactive Media can be understood in
these terms.
Here are some models of Cross-Media, multi-surface computing:
ARGs/Street Games
Nomic Ð a game of self-amendment
Cuisine
9. The information given off by a dish is enjoyed through the senses; it is also enjoyed and interpreted by reflection.
Some Artists and Projects:
Fiona Templeton, You-The City
How do gestures become interactive?
Your Projects.
Assignment:
Read Collective Remembering and the Importance of Forgetting, by Anne Galloway.
Write in your project journals!
Google Marina Rosenfeld and please prepare a question for her!
____________________________________________________________________
Marina
Rosenfeld will present her work.
HereÕs a brief
bio
She is in Baltimore to perform at HighZero.
Studio time on your projects.
Assignment:
Read Collective Remembering and the Importance of Forgetting, by Anne Galloway
Read You CanÕt Predict Who Will Change The World, by Nicholas Taleb.
Write in your project journals!
_____________________________________________________________________________
Jeremy Ahearn Moving Charge Detector
Excerpts from Burr, with Turin Quotes:
ÒThe trouble with science is that, as a rule, oddity among scientists-perfume obsessions, strange work habits- is often indistinguishable from inefficiency. What appears ludicrous and implausible and outrageous usually is. And then, sometimes itÕs not, the problem being telling the difference. ÒI really do notÓ, says Turin, Òthink that a Ôbalanced viewÕ is derived from tepid opinions. It comes from having extreme opinions and seeing the most extreme sides.Ó
Do we privilege the tepid? Think about TalebÕs Black Swan.
Animated Numbers may not be the Whole Story
Excerpt:
The Gaussian bell curve is about
finding the average in a data set. Powerlaws are looking for extremes.
The extremes of large numbers and the extremes of small ones. If this makes any
sense, it will lead us to understand that the underlying assumption of the bell
curve is that society is governed by what is average. Here's Taleb
addressing this issue.
The traditional Guassian way of looking at the world begins by
focusing on the ordinary , and then deals with exceptions or so-called outliers
as ancillaries. But there is a second way, which takes the exceptional as
a starting point and treats the ordinary as subordinate.
Taleb's
point concerns probabilities and those rare events that catch people unawares.
He believes that bell curve thinking excludes the possibility of these rare
events for the sake of making what we know more certain.
Note once again the following principle: the rarer the event,
the higher the error in our estimation of its probability - even when using the
Gaussian ... the Gaussian bell curve sucks randomness out of life - which is
why it is popular. We like it because it allows for certainties! How? Through
averaging ...
I
interpret this to mean that we are conditioned to look at life from the vantage
point of the average. We look at people as to how they fit into some
average norm or convention, rather than looking at each person as one with
unique gifts, talents, personality and experience. The former way was a
conventional way of treating people when the work they performed did not
require creative thought or interaction with others.
Turin quote from the end of BurrÕs The Emperor of
Scent:
Metaphor is the currency of knowledge. I have spent my life learning incredible amounts of disparate, disconnected, obscure, useless pieces of knowledge, and they have turned out to be, almost all of them, extremely useful. Why? Because there is no such thing as disconnected facts. There is only complex structure. And both to explain complex structure to others and, perhaps more importantly, to understand them oneself, one needs better metaphors. If I was able to understand this (the physiology of scent) , it was because my chaotic accrual of information simply gave me better metaphors than anyone else.Ó
Perfume Ð a lot of information.
How to make your own scented aroma beads
Make your own incense using unscented cones and sticks
How to make your own essential oils
Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia
SaveonScents Ð good prices on over 1500 fragrences
The Good Scents Company Ð details on the chemical and olfactory properties of many synthetic scents
List the five senses in descending order of importance to you. Then list the artforms that best speak to each sense.
Sample a few fragrances. Pick your favorite and write a brief description of it without using only nouns, similes, and metaphors/images.
3+ hours for LEDs, radio transmitters, microphones, microcontrollers
12v7ah lead-acid rechargeable battery from batterymart
Power Bright PW200-12 200 Watt Power Inverter
2+ hours for Audio/Video Equipment
12v38ah lead-acid rechargeable battery from batterymart
Power Bright PW400-12 400 Watt Power Inverter
Battery Tender Plus Battery Tender - works for both batteries above. Search for on ebay.
***How to calculate the amount of power you need:
Power consumption is rated either in wattage (watts), or in amperes (amps), and this information is usually stamped or printed on most appliances and equipment. If this information is not indicated on the equipment check the manual, search online, or contact the manufacturer.
To calculate the continuous load of your device:
Amps * 110 (AC voltage) = Watts
This formula yields a close approximation of the starting load of your device>>
Watts * 2 = Starting Load
Assignment: Bring in materials to work on your project and please be prepared to work during class.
____________________________________________________________________________
free103point9 = Transmission Arts
Empty Vessel (Tianna Kennedy/Paula Zaslavsky/Dylan Gauthier, et al)
Broadcast (those of us who havenÕt seen it will go tonight. If you have seen it, please stay here and work with sam).
Scentair Simulation Samples are here.
Assignment: You will present your works to the class for a crit in two weeks, NOVEMBER 1.
To get you in the mood, read: Fail
Early! Fail Often!
____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Emailing your notes from last weekÉ.
The Crits, part II
Current Gallery Exhibition Call
A description (of an aesthetic experience???):
Other>>
Derren Brown Zombie Arcade Game
Derren Brown: Photo Booth Hypnosis
Derren Brown: Staring Competition
Books>>
Mind Control: The Ultimate Revelation
Famous Lecture on Mind Control:
ÒThe Ultimate RevolutionÓ: 1962 Speech by Aldous Huxley on Mind Control
___________________________________________________________________________________
Week 11
Visiting artist: Alessandro Bosetti
Related, local artist: Aaron Oldenburg Ð Ôthe mischief of created thingsÕ
Remember Derrin Brown and the discussion we had after looking at his work.
Real/Magic/Entertainment/Science (?)
Mircea Cantor - Deeparture
What are the similarities in the experience of BrownÕs and CantorÕs work?
The telegarden, Goldberg/Santorromana
From The world is not a desktop, by Mark Weiser, posted on Next Nature.
A good tool is
an invisible tool. By invisible, I mean that the tool does not intrude on your
consciousness; you focus on the task, not the tool. Eyeglasses are a good tool
Ð you look at the world, not the eyeglasses. The blind man tapping the cane
feels the street, not the cane. Of course, tools are not invisible in
themselves, but as part of a context of use. With enough practice we can make
many apparently difficult things disappear: my fingers know vi editing commands
that my conscious mind has long forgotten. But good tools enhance invisibility.
Aram
BarthollÕs First Person Shooter
Glasses
And>>
Take magic.
The idea, as near as I can tell, is to grant wishes: I wish I was the person I
am now, but richer; I wish my boyfriend were smarter and more attractive; I
wish my computer would only show me what I am interested in. But magic is about
psychology and salesmanship, and I believe a dangerous model for good design
and productive technology. The proof is in the details; magic ignores them.
Furthermore, magic continues to glorify itself, as Robin WilliamsÕ
attention-grabbing genie in Aladdin amply illustrates.
Exhibition Plans
_____________________________________________________
Exhibit
_____________________________________________________
Good work!
IÕve uploaded
the video of the exhibit to the work drive on the teaching station. I chose this computer as there are some
exhibits going on in 206 that may require some computers to be temporarily
moved Ð but the teaching station will remain in place. Please create a few minutes of
documentation for your project, burn it onto a disc, and give it to me next
week during class.
Today we will
discuss our show, get a report from Mike Ries on his adventures as Conflux goes
to Rome, and go to the thesis opening.
Next week we
will check out the final work of the Time Based Media class in the station
building.
Oh, and then
thereÕs artwork anti-scam
(scambaiting), hereÕs anotherÉ
_______________________________________________________