Art 511 Conceptual/ Information Arts: Art & Telecommunications -
Internet, Web Art, Netart
Professor: Stephen Wilson
Fine Arts 539 ( A&I annex)
Phone: 338-2291
Email: (For 511 related communications use: swilson@sfsu.edu)
Office Hours: Tues & Thurs 12-2 (Best to confirm by appointment)
Overview:
This course explores the Internet and Web as a subject and a context
for art. It asks students to develop critical/analytical and
practical skills. It has three broad foci:
- It asks students to explore the Internet as a cultural
phenomenon. The Internet is radically altering everything from
basic philosophical orientations to the flow of everyday life.
Many of the issues just put a new face on items with a long
history; some are new issues activated by the unique context of the
Net. Students are asked to consider these socio-cultural issues
as targets for artistic reflection.
- It asks students to explore net-related emerging
technologies. Technical innovators are active in developing new
hardware, software, and information technology systems to push the
boundaries of what is possible. Entrepreneurs are developing
unprecedented businesses. Students are expected to develop skills
in monitoring the information networks of the innovators, in
understandings of the trends and technical issues involved, and in
finding ways to participate in the experimentation if possible.
- It asks students to explore the works of artists working in this
realm. Artists are working with a variety of approaches - for
example, critical reflection on the cultural issues, creating new
genres made possible by the technological innovations, and attempting
to bridge the Internet with historical art forms. Studnets are
expected to develop familiarity with this work, to experiment with
several forms, and to begin to develop their own critical perspectives
and practice.
- More elaboration of the foci are available in the course
objectives page.
Course Requirements:
- Regular attendance at class, promptness, & active
participation (No
more than 3 absences or late arrivals)
- Demonstrations of skills in monitoring research/cultural
developments in net technology and net culture and formulating well
reasoned postions on controversial issues
- Demonstration of skills of analyzing net art and articulating an
artistic agenda
- Completion of all skill demonstration/ exercises
- Demonstrate competence in understanding theory behind
Internet
Technologies -
Internet structure, Web, Telenet,
FTP, Newsgroups, P2P, Blog, Wikipedia, Social Computing, VOIP, Wireless
- Demonstrate competence in configuring & using Web browsers
- Demonstrate competence in use of Web information services such
as
indexes
and search engines
- Demonstrate competence in HTML authoring and information design
- Preparation of Image, Animation, Video, & Sound for the Web
- Demonstrate competence in basic Style Sheets, Javascript,
Dynamic HTML
- Demonstrate competence in using web cameras
- Demonstrate competence in understanding of terms and theories
related to
voice and
computer
based telecommunications, cell phones, wireless,
- Completion of Creative Projects
- Extended skill demonstrations (tentative)
- CGI programming and web server configuration - eg php
- Advanced Javascript scripting - eg, cookies
- Shockwave
- Integration of Director with interactive web access
- Flash
- Streaming Media
- Maintaining a web based community
Logistics
Texts:
Wilson - online
guide to html
Negrino, Tom and Dori Smith. Javascript and Ajax for the
World Wide
Web (6th edition) Peachpit Press, 2006
(required)
Wilson, Stephen. Information Arts: Intersections of Art,
Science,
and Technology. MIT Press, 2002
(recommended)
(Book information site with Amazon link - http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~swilson/book/infoartsbook.html)
Supplemental Text: Wilson, Stephen. Web Design Guide.
Hayden
Books, Indianapolis, 1995 (out of print)
Evaluation: Grade will be based on class participation and
the
quality of lab exercises and projects. Students will be expected to
maintain
a systematic portfolio documenting their course activities. All
web pages and sites must be submitted in the method describe in the
class index so they can be archived.
A grade of A will require significant extra effort including the
following:
1. Regular monitoring of a web realted trade press journal or
website and 2. Use of advanced technology in
the final project such as Flash, Shockwave, advanced Javascript,, etc.
Prerequisites: Consent of the Instructor (**priority
enrollment
for CIA majors)
Instructional Materials Fee: An instructional materials fee
of
$20 is required to cover computer lab supplies.
Main Web sites for course:
Syllabus
(this
document)
Index
with links
Course
Objectives
Class
Tentative Schedule
Probation, Diabilities, Health & Safety
Acadmic Probation
If you are on academic probation, make an appointment as soon as
possible to work out what you need to do to meet the terms of your
probation.
American with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Accomodation
The Disability Programs andResource Center provides university academic
support services and specialized assistance to students with
disabilities. Stiudents with disabilities who need reasonable
accommodatons are encouraged to contact the instructor. The
Disability Programs and Resource Center (DPRC) is available to
facilitate the reasonable accommodations process. The DPRC is
located in the Student Service Building and can be reached by telephone
(voice/TTY 415-338-2472) or by email (dprc@sfsu.edu).
Health and Saftey
Working with computers and electronic devices poses certain hazards to
muscles, sight, posture. Students need to be aware of these
dangers and the precautions that can be taken. Please consult the
CIA safety guidelines.
CIA
health and safety guide