We will read contemporay theorists on the changes that the information age has brought to our understanding of art, culture, the body, and gender. We will deconstruct what the information age is and who it benefits. We will also read cyberpunk literature, play computer games, visit internet sites and chat rooms, and view documentation of contemporary artists working in digital and interactive media. Students will be expected to participate actively in discussion, and make class presentations. They will also a be required to produce a number of responses to the material as well as a final project of real scope and ambition.
Students can choose the medium for their responses and project.
This course will visit materials and material properties for their potential as expressive modes of communication in the arts. We will investigate materials and material behaviors such as copper, glass, light and semi-conductors both on a scientific and metaphorical level. Readings will include but not be limited to mathematical texts on material properties, interviews with Joseph Beuys, notes from Marcel Duchamp, texts from Friedrich Kittler, the Critical Art Ensemble and readings from Thomas Pynchon. Students will be required to participate in discussions and write a semester paper. We will be using the CAVE library to build virtual environments, which will be displayed on a low-cost VR system at Media Study.