Winter 2000, Visual Arts Department, UCSD

SYLLABUS

The syllabus for this class is online. New information will be added throughout the quarter.

Lecture: Tu 5:30pm-7:20pm CENTR 113
Instructor: Dr. Lev Manovich
email: manovich@ucsd.edu
Office hours: Tuesday 3:30-4:30 pm (Visual Arts Facility 553)

Labs: AP&M B349 computer lab.
The labs are conducted by Teaching Assistants.
T.A.'s office hours and email addresses will be announced in sections.
 

Required texts:
(1) New Media in Late 20th-Century Art. (Available at Groundworks bokstore.)
(2) Additional texts available on the Internet will be assigned each week.

Course description:
The course consists from two parts: lectures and lab sessions.

The lectures will cover the practical use of computers by visual artists, the theoretical concepts which underlie the use of computers in visual arts and the trends in digital culture. We will view examples of how artists are using computers to create interactive multimedia works, virtual worlds, digital photographs, animation, video, films, artifial personas and other still to be defined forms of art. We will discuss the key theoretical concepts which underlie the use of computers in visual arts such as human-computer interface and hypermedia. Finally, we will also explore some of the key new aesthetic and cultural concepts introduced by computers (interactivity, artificial intelligence, artificial life, cyborg, cyberspace). The larger part of the lectures will be devoted to watching and discussing CD-ROMs, video tapes, Web sites and other visual material. The required readings will provide additional historical, technical and contextual information.

The lab sessions are run by the TAs. The students learns basic skills of general computer use, computer media manipulation and Web design using NT workstations. They use these practical skills as well as the knowledge acquired through lectures and readings to complete creative projects. Lab sessions include technical demonstrations, discussions of readings, independent work under TA supervision and presentations and discussions of students' work. Students will be also asked to write short responces to lectures and readings in preparation for discussions.

Lab sessions take place in AP&M B349 computer lab.

AP&M B349 computer lab:
Each registered student will also be given access to the lab for the duration of the quarter, controlled by a personal Key Code. The account information and the Key Code will be supplied by your TA. The server is regularly backed up by ACS.

Computer accounts: Each student registered for the class will receive a UNIX computer account on sgva-serv1 UNIX server. The account information will be supplied by your TA.

Storing your work: During working session, store your files on the hard drive of your NT computer. When you finished working for the day, move your files to your account on sgva-serv1 UNIX server.

Online Syllabus:
There is separate Web page for every lecture. The page contains an outline of the lecture and links to relevant Web sites. You are expected to visit the linked sites.

Class requirements:
1. Attendance of lectures and lab sessions.
2. Active participation in lab discussions.
3. Completion of creative projects on time.
4. Completion of the assigned readings on time.
5. Visiting linked Web sites the links for each week's lecture.
6. Final in-class exam.

Final exam:
The final in-class exam is open book. It will be based on lectures and readings. It will consist from multiple choice questions and few short essays. You should do well if you attend all lectures, take notes, and complete the assigned readings on time.

Final exam from Winter 1999 will give you an idea of what expect on the final exam.
It is linked to the course web site.

Attendance:
Attendance will be taken every lecture and every lab session. During the quarter, you are allowed to miss no more than one lecture and no more than one lab session without a proper excuse (doctor's notice). Each additional absence will lower your final grade half a letter grade. Chronic lateness counts as absence. Forgetting to sign the attendance sheet or leaving early counts as absence.

Grading Creative Projects:
The students are expected to complete each project on time. If a project is not delivered on time, its grade will be lowered one full letter grade. The projects will be graded on the basis of original ideas, artistic form and technical skills.

Grading Breakdown:
Students will be assigned grades by the TAs.
1. Creative projects and lab participation: 60%
2. Final exam: 40%