Dima's classes

Class Syllabus for Fall 2009

Assignment 1:

A. 5 Textures

Using only Adobe Photoshop Filters (at least 4 for each image) create 5 image files. Your goal is to create visually interesting textures. Go CRAZY with filters!:)!

Image Size/Format: 600X600 pixels. 72 ppi (pixels per inch)

B. Formal Arrangement

Using Photoshop's MARQUEE and SELECT tools create formal geometric compositions using the textures you have created in the above assignment.

Use work by Constructivist artists for reference.

Image Size/Format: 800X600 pixels. 72 ppi (pixels per inch)

Assignment 2:

“Portrait of a Single Day”

Use Photoshop to create a collage. Create a composition from a variety of photographic visual elements (scanned material, cell phone photos, images from the web, digital camera output, any other visual sources you can think of) to create a “Portrait of a Single Day”.

Think of different visual inputs that you have during a day (watching sunrise, driving a car, watching TV, working in front of a computer,…) and then think of the emotions that each one of these actions evokes. Are these emotions reflected in your creative output? What are some of the ideas generated based upon your experiences? How can these ideas be communicated to a viewer?

Avoid simple linear narratives i.e. first I woke up, and then I brushed my teeth, and then I walked out the door..:)

Use work by Hannah Hoch, Raul Hausmann and other dada collage artists for referrence.

Image Size/Format: 8.5 inches by 11 inches at 150 dpi (dots per inch). We will critique PRINTED images.

Assignment 3:

A. Cheesy Techno

Start out with a 120 bpm drum track. Based on that track you will create a multitrack "technoish" sounding demo using sound library which comes with Soundtrack Pro. You must use more then 5 tracks! The composition should be a minute to a minute and a half in length.

Try to leave open sections at the beginning and the end of the drum track so you will be able to play your work back to back to back in class. Pa-a-a-arty + some art theory reading!

B. Synthetic Soundscape

Make a field recording of at least 3 spaces. Create a composition using your sound recordings. Try to arrive at a general emotional/conceptual focus that will unify all of the recorded tracks in your project i.e. it should feel like a single composition and not just a collection of interesting tracks. Instrumental elements might be added with instructor's permission. Th length of your composition should be between 1.5 and 3 minutes.

For referrences pls look at the following:
http://www.acousticecology.org/soundscapelinks.html
http://www.emf.org/

There will also be 3 CDs on reserve at the library:

* "OHM" box set
* Oval "Systemisch"
* "Nuen Zeitschrift fur Musik"

Assignment 4:

"Quotidian Re-mix"

Take a mundane daily action, like brushing your teeth, eating cereal, etc., and shoot it from a variety of angles and distances. Create a 30 second long montage from you footage. Must have at least 10 cuts.

Use this camera shots description as a reference
http://www.mediacollege.com/video/shots/

Assignment 5:

"Critical Response"

Create a video (no shorter then 1.5 and no longer then 3 min) as a critical response to at least 2 of the readings and/or artworks we discussed in class. You must generate your own soundtrack, no songs or song-like structures allowed.

An essential part of this assignment is a one page project proposal and a storyboard.

Video art shown in class will be on reserve at the library in case you want to refer to ideas/techniques used by any of the presented artists.

---

Weekly Group Assignment

Make a 5min presentation on a news item you found interesting.
Here is your list of sources:

Some questions you want to answer in your presention:
1. How did you navigate to the story you chose?
2. Is it "front page" news?
3. Is there a particular color scheme that helped you find the story?
4. Why does the content interest you?
5. Did you see this story in any other news source?
6. Was it presented differently?

---

Readings

all readings are located in password protected directory
http://www.shiftingplanes.org/texts


password presented in class

Questions and objectives for discussion of "The work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" by Walter Benjamin

1. Define the terms "superstructure" and "substructure" (often called "base") as they are used in Marxist philosophy.

2. List historical lineage of techniques that led up to mechanical reproduction. How is Mechanical reproduction different from preceding technological modes?

3. Present examples that Benjamin uses to describes the term "aura."

4. Define and present examples of "ritual" vs. "exhibition" value of an object.