Net.Art -- Spring '19
Time & Location:
R 03:00pm-5:50pm in Comm 1021
Professor: Robert Spahr
Contact: rspahr@siu.edu
Office: Northwest Annex, B213
Office Hours:
T 11:00am-01:00pm
W 10:00am-02:00pm
and by appointment
Course Syllabus Location: http://www.robertspahr.com/net/
Course Listings:
Interdisciplinary Topics: Net Art - 25677 - CP 470D 002
Media Arts Studio Seminar: Net Art - 27886 - MCMA 516 001
Required Text:
* All readings will be distributed in class or available online *
Further Reading:
Castro, Elizabeth. HTML5 & CSS3 Visual QuickStart Guide (8th Edition). Peachpit Press
Online: Pilgrim, Mark. Dive into HTML5.
Description:
This course exposes students to the possibilities of interactivity by exploring the history, theory and practice of web-based and networked art.
Students will create a number of networked art projects using HTML, Cascading Style Sheets, Javascript, and Free/Open Source Software. Students will be encouraged to think about code as art. We will also discuss the role of artists in networked environments, the importance of software art, and programming as an artistic practice across new media.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have gained a practical grounding in the principles of making networked art through instruction in coding, design, and interaction. A goal of this course will be to move beyond seeing the computer as a tool of production, but rather the beginning of a complete networked system.
Objectives:
- Increase knowledge relevant to the analysis and history of media arts, net.art and contemporary arts practice.
- Develop technical skills for creating and analyzing net.art and interactivity by developing individual and collaborative group projects.
- Develop an awareness of the creative process as it applies to net.art and contemporary arts practice.
Syllabus:
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Topics and readings will be added based on specific student interest.
Possible topics may include: Processing, Python, Raspberry Pi, Linux, & PHP / MySQL
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Jan 17
Introductions, The Internet, Basic Markup, HTML5
What is Net.Art?, What is New Media?
Lecture:
Speed Viewer's Guide to Net.Art
The Internet, Basic Markup, HTML5
Assign:
Exercise One: Chimaera: Hybridized Imagery & Augmented Meaning
View in class:
Grace Hopper: First computer "bug", 1947
Wikipedia: Grace Hopper
Humans Need Not Apply, 15:00
GNU User Lib video, 2:53
Resources:
Free/Open Source Software for Net.Art
Neocities.org
Example Neocities website: https://robertspahr.neocities.org/
Jan 24
Image Formats, CSS Style Basics & Free / Open Source Software (FOSS)
Lecture:
Image Formats, CSS Style Basics
Exercise One is due. Group Critique
Reading:
Bill Gates: Open Letter to Hobbyists, February 1976
Richard Stallman: The GNU Manifesto, March 1985
Thought Questions
Assign:
Exercise Two: Counter Mapping: Origins, Directions & Locations
Jan 31
Typography, Images, & Multimedia
Lecture:
Typography, Images, & Multimedia
Reading:
New Media Art Introduction: Mark Tribe
Feb 07
Advanced Layout Using CSS
Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP)
Lecture:
Advanced Layout Using CSS
Exercise Two is due. Group Critique
Proposal for Midterm project is due by email: rspahr@siu.edu
Be prepared to discuss ideas for a midterm project.
Assign:
Exercise Three: Exquisite Corpse
Reading:
Walter Benjamin: The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
Thought Questions
Feb 14
Misc Tech Demos/Lab
Animated Gifs
CSS Rollover Images
Javascript - pop up window
Javascript - random position
Geany Snippets
Example code:
CSS Rollover Images
Javascript: Pop Up Window
Net.Art with Javascript Random Position
Exercise Three is due. Group Critique
Assign: Two new iterations of the collaborative Exquisite Corpse. Due: Feb 28.
Feb 21
Visiting Artist Lecture
3:00pm @ Museum Auditorium / Faner Hall
### Class will meet at 3pm in the Museum Auditorium in Faner Hall ###
Ricardo Miranda Zuñiga
Animation, Web Art, Gaming, VR, Political Performative Intervention
http://ambriente.com/
Feb 28
Two new iterations of the collaborative Exquisite Corpse is due.
Assign: A final iteration of the Exquisite Corpse or an Individual Project.
(This is the final interation of the exquisite corpse sequence)
Domain Name and Hosting for Group Project will be discussed.
Details of final group project will be discussed.
Mar 07
Final Iteration Exquisite Corpse or an Individual Project is due.
Midterm Project is a group critique.
All work finished in the first half of the semester is due. To prepare for the critique, upload all work to neocities, and create an index page linking to each project/iteration.
Journals are due.
Mar 17-14
Spring Break
Mar 21
Group Critique - We will look at all work completed to date.
Javascript Examples:
Random Number - Image Position
Random Number - Image Collage
Download: javascript-examples-random.zip
Assign:
Exercise Four: We Grow Accustomed to the Dark
Development Environments:
LAMP, MAMP & WAMP (Linux/Mac/Windows, Apache, Mysql, PHP)
Student Presentations
Mar 28
Open Studio
Exercise Four is due. Group Critique
Code Examples:
Meta-refresh to load a new page
Javascript: onLoad, a pop window is triggered
Meta-refresh - Random positioning of text
Lecture: Golden Section / Fibonacci Numbers
Lecture: Javascript
Code: Selected Javascript Examples
Assign:
Exercise Five: Golden Section and/or Fibonacci Numbers
Apr 04
Open Studio
Exercise Five is due. Group Critique
Student Presentations
Apr 11
Open Studio
Student Presentations
Apr 18
Open Studio
Student Presentations
Apr 25
Open Studio
Student Presentations
May 02
Final Project is due. Comprehensive Group Critique
Journals are due.
May 07 - Tuesday - 12:30-2:30pm
University Scheduled Final
Comprehensive Final Group Critique continued.
Net.Art Research/Presentation
Students will explore and research artists creating work that addresses their chosen topic. They will then present the artist and one specific work of net.art to the class. Further details regarding the presentation will be discussed.
Potential Topics to Explore
hypertext mark-up languages
animated gifs
automation
software / programming
installation
open-source, free culture & ownership
search engines
tactical media
non-linear media
databases
social networks / social software
surveillance
video games
artificial intelligence
Midterm and Final Project
Two Individual Projects - Midterm and Final
Each student will develop and present a midterm and final Net.Art project. These projects will be developed from ideas explored in regular weekly studio exercises, and the students previous work. Details regarding these projects will be discussed in class.
Group Project
As a group project, the class will obtain a domain name (name to be decided) and set up web hosting. This public website will become the container for selected work created throughout the semester. This site will be available to the general public and specifically to our SIU community using QRcodes and the URL. Methods of publicity appropriate to the work created will be determined by the class. All further details will be discussed and developed as a collaborative project.
All projects will be documented on the web.
Student Projects
Throughout the semester students will create exercises and projects that will vary from works-in-progress to completed works. They will be hosted on different servers and will be linked here.
Evaluation:
The work in this course requires motivation, exploration, risk-taking, and most importantly, an openness to new ideas. Attendance and promptness are mandatory. The grading policy of this class is meant to encourage you to explore new ideas and take chances. Do not think in terms of "What must I do to receive an A grade", but think in terms of what you would like to learn. All assignments and projects are due at the beginning of class. All readings are due the day they are listed on the syllabus.
Journal: Each student will respond to the class readings/presentations, weekly studio exercises, and their own net.art projects, as well as lectures/discussions in class. Students should also document their creative process, and artistic development within the journal. Think of the journal as a resource, to contain your present ideas and hints of future directions to explore.
Each project will be graded on artistic, creative and intellectual merit.
Grades will be based on the following:
- Originality of concept
- Delivery (execution of the concept)
- Documentation
- Process
- Craft
- Critique participation
Your final grade will be determined by the following:
- 20% Participation/Exercises/Net.Art Presentation
- 10% Journal
- 30% Midterm Project
- 30% Final Project
- 10% Group Project
