ARTS 160B
Introduction to Digital Art
Prof. Chaz Evans
ChazEvans(at)depauw(dot)edu
Fall 2013
DePauw University
Meeting times: MW - 12:30-3:20pm
Office hours: T - 1pm-3pm or by appointment
Description/Course Goals
This is a studio course which investigates software as artistic material and cultural form. Using different platforms and technologies students will gain a tool set of different approaches to begin an art practice in new media/digital art. The course is designed to reveal that software, as well as the people and spaces associated with it, is not strictly the purview of technologists, the sciences, and the commercial sphere but instead is a rich discipline of aesthetic communication and expression available to anyone interested in the creation of art. Students will learn to conceptualize and design their own projects, as well as learn to utilize a variety of software-based art-making strategies in order to resolve these ideas as artworks.Evaluation
Evaluation will differ between different projects and assignment types. In general, meaningful engagement with subject matter and strongly supported creative decisions are considered more important than how something "looks". Assignments are invitations to invent and experiment. Creative and ambitious experiments will be evaluated high, while obvious and easily attained solutions are evaluated low. Students are required to share documentation of their process and finished work on the class blog. All assignments must be completed to pass the course. Assignments are only considered as completed when they are available on the class blog. Late assignments will reduce the grade proportionally.Research presentations and reading responses will be primarily evaluated based on the quality of engagement with the material. The responses should not only be a summary of the reading but should engage the material by either challenging it or applying it to external references (including artworks). Exercises and final projects will be evaluated based on originality, conceptual depth, and integration of artistic goals within the scope of the assignment.
Active contribution during class is required. You are expected to be a resource to your peers and seek help when needed. Willingness to actively participate in problem solving, class discussion, and interaction with peers is of paramount importance. Vibrant communication and exchange are key practices which support all other class goals and therefore will be integral to evaluation.
The numeric breakdown for the final evaluation is as follows:
15% Reading Responses
15% Research Presentation
30% Exercises
20% Participation/Discussion/Contribution
20% Final Project
Course Policies
Attendance
Active contribution during class and attendance is MANDATORY. Attendance is important as the majority of coursework will come out of group discussion and participation. More than one unexcused absence will result in a letter grade deduction.In order to excuse yourself from class due to illness etc. you must communicate with the instructor via email prior to the class meeting.
Students must arrive to class on time. Three late arrivals will count as a unexcused absence.
Social Media/Phones/Other Personal Electronics
Use of online social media, phones, and personal electronics while class is in session is prohibited. The only exception to this rule is if a social media tool or device is being used in a meaningful, creative, artistic or conceptual manner within a class project.Data Loss Due To Technological Error
Other than large systemic errors in the DePauw University network and the internet at large, technological error is not an acceptable excuse for lost or late work. We will spend time at the beginning of the course establishing good practices for habitually saving and backing up your data. Once these habits are observed data loss is no longer an excuse, nor is it often a problem.Academic Integrity
All principles on academic honesty and integrity in the DePauw University Student Handbook apply to this course.It is very important that you provide citations for any kind of incorporated source material. For code-based work you should cite sources in comments. For most other kinds of work your sources should be mentioned in the blog post/project description.
