Radical Innovation in Digital Art

Radical Innovation in Digital Art is a course designed to explore the intersection of art and technology. For some artists, "digital art technologies" are just electronic versions of familiar paintbrushes, cameras, musical instruments, and other traditional art media. Other artists and technologists, however, are using digital tools to develop entirely new forms of art- making --- forms that complement or even replace traditional forms of art. In this course we will explore and extend work of this latter category. Students will work in teams to imagine, design, implement, and use radically new digital art-making technologies. Class time will be devoted to presentations on emerging arts technologies (both by faculty and by students), brainstorming sessions, and organizational meetings for project teams. Students will be expected to conduct background research, develop ideas, implement technologies, and produce demonstration artworks largely outside of class. Prerequisite: significant prior experience in computer science and/or in the use of some form of digital arts technology (for example digital animation, digital imaging, or computer music). This course satisfies Division I distribution requirements. EXP, PRJ, PRS, QUA

Course Objectives

 * To explore interactions between technological and artistic innovation.
 * To develop new technological and artistic skills.
 * To contribute to a large-scale, interdisciplinary group project.
 * To strengthen skills in the areas of concept development, collaboration and project management.

Evaluation Criteria
Each student is expected to attend consistently, to read all assigned readings, to participate actively in class discussions, and to complete the following assignments:


 * Research mini-presentation
 * Image mini-project
 * Sound mini-project
 * World I/O mini-project
 * Final project
 * Final project presentation

Assignment details will be presented in class.

Prerequisite and Expectations
The prerequisite for this course is "significant prior experience in computer science and/or in the use of some form of digital arts technology (for example digital animation, digital imaging, or computer music)." This means that we expect each student to have, and to be willing to share, intermediate or advanced skills in computer science or in some area of digital arts (or both). Most assignments will be conducted in interdisciplinary teams in which each member will have a designated role consistent with his or her background.

Schedule
This course will not follow a rigid, pre-specified schedule, but the overall structure of the course will be as follows:


 * Concept development and tool introductions/exercises (1st half of semester)
 * 1) Background and examples
 * 2) Image components
 * 3) Sound components
 * 4) World I/O components
 * 5) Project brainstorming
 * Final project development and presentation (2nd half of the semester)

Final Projects Spring 2008
Final project ideas were pitched to the entire class the week before Spring Break, and whittled down based on interest. Groups were selected by benevolent dictators Lee Spector and Chris Perry to ensure even distribution in both technical and artistic skill. Each group has a Tech Lead, an Artistic Lead and/or Spiritual Lead. Final groups have five weeks to complete the project, with mandatory "milestones" to be met each Tuesday and presented to either Lee Spector or Chris Perry.

Audio Projects
Lee Spector presides
 * Hyper Instrument Concert Tech Lead: Maxwell Schwartz, Art Lead: Kathryn Pickett (Mt. Holyoke) group: 6 members total
 * Constructed Reality (Audio Room) Tech Lead: Vibhu Norby
 * Strings (interactive art) Tech Lead: Jacob Mazoson

Image Projects
Chris Perry presides
 * Wii-rionette (Wii-mote controlled Marionette) Tech Lead: Omid Mikhchi, Art Lead: Jake Redmond, group: 5 members total
 * Head-tracked 3d Art (immersive illusion) Tech Lead: John Shanck, Art Lead: Nicholas George
 * Spark Shirts (social networking) Art Lead: Molly Mcleod