Introduction to Time-Based and Digital Media

final project sites

2007-05-02T15:51:00.000-05:00

FINAL DATES

2007-04-25T19:11:00.000-05:00

WEDNESDAY MAY 2: help session 1-4 pm

MONDAY MAY 7 by 5 pm: FINAL PROJECT DUE!

Your complete website must be uploaded and you must
1-send me the link by email: ftoosi@smcm.edu
2-place a CD-R with all your files in my mailbox in the MH division office
This deadline is firm: broken links, incomplete sites, or no CD submission will not receive extensions, no matter what the technical catastrophe.

214 is the best

2007-04-25T18:52:00.000-05:00

grading rubric for the final project

2007-04-24T09:36:00.000-05:00

In case you lose the copy I handed out in class:
http://www.smcm.edu/users/ftoosi/214blog/214_rubric.pdf

Don't forget the special help session 1-4 on WEDNESDAY MAY 2, in the ProLab.

art SMP talks

2007-04-23T09:52:00.000-05:00

eligible for your blogs, if you attend the entire event:

1st studio talk: Wednesday, April 25, 4-6 pm, Boyden Galley
2nd studio talk: Tuesday, May 1, 2-4 pm, Boyden Gallery
Art History talk: Tuesday, May 1, 10 am -12 pm, MH 151

restructuring the internet?

2007-04-16T20:08:00.000-05:00

news recommendation from Tom:
http://www.sgvtribune.com/business/ci_5675616

deconstructing websites: Mon/Tues 16/17 April

2007-04-16T14:27:00.000-05:00

A site map reflects navigation and main content areas on a website. They are usually constructed to look like flowcharts and show how users will navigate from one section to another.

Your site will only have 4-8 pages, so the architecture will be shallow not deep.

According to the info provided in class, analyze one of the following sets of websites with your group. Draw a simple site map for the site's architecture and indicate whether it is hierarchical, linear, hub and spokes, or hypertext.

http://noonebelongsheremorethanyou.com
http://www.mouchette.org
http://www.larahoke.com

http://pooptopia.com
http://www.bethbee.com
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/nyunderground/docs/nymain.html

http://www.poltur.ro/index.html
http://www.busboysandpoets.com
http://www.remembersegregation.org

last minute cultural events

2007-04-13T10:13:00.001-05:00

April 5-7 and 12-14 at 8:00 p.m., April 7 and 15 at 2:00 p.m. - Bruce Davis Theater, Montgomery Hall - The Mandrake

*this costs $, as it's a benefit concert* Sat. April 14 - HSMC Visitor Center - concert by singer and songwriter David LaMotte. All proceeds from ticket sales benefit the Chesapeake Public Charter School. Tickets are $12 in advance, and $15 at the door. For more information, call 240-925-1888.

Sun. April 15, 1:00 - Good Water Store & Cafe, Lexington Park, MD - children's concert with David LaMotte and book signing with Carrie Patterson. LINK to the map.

Mon. April 16, 4:30 - Boyden Gallery - Artist Talk: David LaMotte, Musician
or I will also accept this event:
Mon., April 16, 4:30 pm - Cole Cinema - “Four Stages of Denial, or, My On-Again, Off-Again Affair with Feminism” Is Western Feminism Useful for Muslim Women and Men? Asma Barlas, Professor of Politics and Director of the Center for the Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity, Ithaca College, NY

Wed. April 18, 4:30 - Library 321 - Artist Talk: Shari Hersh, Mural Arts Corp Founder

Fri. April 20, 3:00 - Cole Cinema - Armand Cerbone, a Chicago-based psychologist, will speak on “Sex, Love, and Stigma in Same-Sex Relationships”

April 19-21, 8pm and April 22 at 2pm - DPC - Proof directed by Brian Sekinger. Email brsekinger@smcm.edu

April 19-22 Provisions Library, Washington DC (Dupont Circle) Multimediale Art Festival featuring FT's work, among other new media artists: http://www.multimedialedc.org

Visiting AnnMarie Sculpture Garden where art department studio assistant Lacey Volk is artist-in-residence is also eligible for your blog.

tintype

2007-04-12T17:22:00.000-05:00

mother disguised as chair

Sol Lewitt, RIP

2007-04-10T07:25:00.001-05:00

No One Belongs Here More Than You

2007-04-09T22:37:00.000-05:00

Websites can be simple and still wonderful. This linear site is a book promo by Miranda July, the artist who made the film You, Me, and Everyone We Know
http://noonebelongsheremorethanyou.com/

The Yes Men Movie

2007-04-06T10:09:00.000-05:00

The entire movie is available for viewing on Google Video. LINK.
The Yes Men website
RTMark website
gatt.org, the site that led The Yes Men to go to Tampere, Finland to give a talk about slavery

your photo-romans are now on YouTube!

2007-04-05T00:19:00.000-05:00

HERE'S THE LINK, they are the first 4 videos. Enjoy!

Internet Art assignment

2007-04-04T15:34:00.000-05:00

You will choose a PLACE with a web presence on-line. The subject could be a city, a tourist destination, a company, a natural site, a business, or a non-profit organization. How is the web site used to market and promote the physical/ideological site? How are the values and/or concrete attributes of the place represented on the web? Is it an accurate portrayal of the place? What is impossible to translate on-line? What kind of information is revealed and what is hidden?

Choose something that is relatively well-known. For example the National Mint would be a better choice than your local credit union. However, local places are ok, as long as they are known by your audience: the community here at the college and/or in Southern Maryland. Using the place's website as your starting point, you will create a response to the site. (The only site that's not allowed as a subject is the one for the college).

To create your response site: In Dreamweaver, you will create a 4-8 page website that reveals comical, unexpected or biased information about this place. Think about how the site will allow the viewer to access this information in a way that is visual and unique to a website, ie LINKING, ROLLOVERS, and the use of TEXT+IMAGE.

Do research to find interesting information and keep it simple.

SITES FROM LAST SEMESTER'S CLASS (the assignment was a little different, but the results are similar):
Adventures on Route 235 - Liz Lawrence
Biological Non-Fiction - Sean Glynn
Menchusita - Veronica Lopez
Wal-Smart - YaHaddy Njie
Exotic Vacations - Jess Porter

OTHER ARTIST SITES:
Mejor Vida Corporation
blackness for sale on e-bay
Dot Store
Rent-a-Negro
Cyborg Web Shop
Google Will Eat Itself
the first human male pregnancy
Preparing for Emergencies
Black People Love Us!

IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE PROJECT:
M/Tu 9/10 April: TUTORIAL: THE BASICS + LINKING
MON: DW demo with FT
TUES: intro to net art

Wed/Thurs 11/12 April: TUTORIAL: TYPOGRAPHY + TABLES
-post a list of 5 website links for project ideas to your blog
WED: Melissa Dean
THURS: DW demo with FT

M/Tu 16/17 April: TUTORIAL: LAYOUT + CSS
-post a collection of images (collage them in photoshop) & a word association of at least 10 terms about your site's subject to your blog. Click here for an example of what your collage might look like, that I made about the subject of "video".
-in class: what is a site map? and more net art examples

W/Th 18/19 April:
-Post a hand-drawn site map, in color, to your blog. In your flow chart, indicate whether the architecture is linear, hierarchical, hub&spokes, or hypertext. Include arrows to indicate the direction of links. KEEP IT SIMPLE. These should be legible enough that you could hand them off to someone else and they would be able to make the site template (without content) for you. These sketches should show that you have taken into consideration the visual DESIGN of your site. Bring your sketches to class.
Check out these sites for more info on the principles of design:
http://www.digital-web.com/articles/principles_of_design/
http://www.digital-web.com/articles/elements_of_design/
http://www.digital-web.com/articles/principles_and_elements_of_design/

M/Tu 23/24 April: TUTORIAL: ROLLOVERS
instructor evaluations and in-class work day

W/Th 25/26 April: TUTORIAL: INSERTING MEDIA OBJECTS
LAST CLASS SESSION!
- ROUGH DRAFT of project due for feedback. This means at least 3 of your pages should be designed and uploaded for viewing on the WWW.

MONDAY MAY 7 by 5 pm: FINAL PROJECT DUE!
-Your complete website must be uploaded and you must send me a link to it by email as well as placing a CD-R with all your files in my mailbox. This deadline is firm: broken links, incomplete sites, or no CD submission will not receive extensions, no matter what the technical catasrophe.

4-12 April schedule

2007-04-03T17:05:00.000-05:00

W/Th 4/5 April: STERLING/MANDIBERG READING-POST TO BLOG
WED: intro to net art
THURS: Melissa Dean

M/Tu 9/10 April: TUTORIAL: THE BASICS + LINKING
MON: DW demo with FT
TUES: intro to net art

Tu/Wed 11/12 April: TUTORIAL: TYPOGRAPHY + TABLES
WED: Melissa Dean
THURS: DW demo with FT

Bruce Sterling in the news

2007-04-03T16:41:00.000-05:00

For those of you who like a little more info, Bruce Sterling (author of the reading for homework) just gave a talk at a conference, with some interesting insights about the networked technology, such as:
Do i want to interact with my toothbrush? What's the toothbrush of the future? A toothbrush that advertises that if you upgrade it you'll get 20% more of the plaque removed. Nah! That's boring. How about the new Apple iBrush? It takes pictures of the holes in my teeth and sends the images online. Do we want toothbloggers?
This is not required, just an extra something if you're interested. The reading homework is below. Here's a link to a summary of the talk:
http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/009443.php

reading homework for 4-5 April

2007-04-02T16:38:00.000-05:00

Please post your response by the start of class to be counted on time.

Read the article:
Short History of the Internet by Bruce Sterling
Then, check out this internet art site:
Real Costs by Michael Mandiberg
investigate it, and talk about how it uses the internet as an art medium. Explain why it uses it to best advantage, and why the piece could not be made in any other way.

Finally, answer this question:
HOW DOES THIS WORK FIT in the history of the internet that Sterling describes? What are the features of this art work that reflect the time in which it was made (2006)?

chocolate Jesus

2007-03-31T23:15:00.000-05:00

LINK: "A planned Holy Week exhibition of a nude, anatomically correct chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ was canceled Friday amid complaints from Catholics, including Cardinal Edward Egan... Artist Cosimo Cavallaro is best known for his quirky work with food. Past efforts include repainting a Manhattan hotel room in melted mozzarella, spraying five tons of pepper jack cheese on a Wyoming home and festooning a four-poster bed with 312 pounds of processed ham".

best of the surrealist games we played in class a few weeks ago

2007-03-30T16:56:00.000-05:00

-Why do you live?
-Because my car needs an oil change.

-Why does every student wear jeans?
-Because your mother said so.

-Why are you gay?
-Because we couldn't afford to take you to Disney Land.

-Why is my ship sinking?
-Becuase it felt so cold in the rooms.

-Why don't you like coffee?
-Because the dog could smell cookies baking.

-Why do we have 10 fingers?
-Because I like you.

Armenian genocide lecture and The Mandrake

2007-03-26T23:13:00.000-05:00

More cultural events eligible for your blog

Prof Richard Hovannisian: Must We Still Remember? The Armenian Genocide as Prototype
Wednesday, March 28, Cole Cinema, 8pm
Richard Hovannisian is professor of Armenian and Near Eastern History at UCLA, California. Author of multiple books on the Armenian history and genocide, he has also recently served as consultant for the National Geographic Magazine on a feature article on Armenia. The talk will be accompanied by a short video selection.
===================================================
The Mandrake
by Niccolò Machiavelli
April 5-7 and 12-14 at 8:00 p.m.
April 7 and 15 at 2:00 p.m.
A robust, physical comedy in the style of the Italian commedia dell’arte.
For reservations, call the Theater Box Office at 240-895-4243 (ext. 4243) or e-mail boxoffice@smcm.edu.

review times

2007-03-23T12:37:00.000-05:00

WED 28 MAR
4:00 Alice
4:15 Winnie
4:30 Anne
4:45 Rachel
5:00 Shinae
5:15 Teresa

THURS 29 MAR
12:00 Marc
12:15 Mike
12:30 Merry
12:45 Carly

schedule for the end days

2007-03-22T19:55:00.000-05:00

W/Th 28/29 March
HW: Complete Lynda.com Dreamweaver TUTORIAL: INTERFACE + SITE CONTROL
(I will check to see that you've done this through Lynda.com by the start your class time, so don't delay!)
WED: critiques that were postponed from last week
THURS: story boards for animation in-class

M/Tu 2/3 April: BRING ALL YOUR MATERIALS FOR THE GROUP VIDEO
assemble the photo-roman in class!

W/Th 4/5 April: STERLING/MANDIBERG READING-POST TO BLOG
WED: intro to net art
THURS: Melissa Dean

M/Tu 9/10 April: TUTORIAL: THE BASICS + LINKING
MON: DW demo with FT
TUES: intro to net art

Tu/Wed 11/12 April: TUTORIAL: TYPOGRAPHY + TABLES
-post a list of 5 website links for project ideas to your blog

M/Tu 16/17 April: TUTORIAL: LAYOUT + CSS
-post a collection of images (collage them in photoshop) & a word association of at least 10 terms about your site's subject to your blog. Click HERE for an example of a collage I made about the subject of "video".
-in class: what is a site map?

W/Th 18/19 April:
-post a hand-drawn site map, in color, to your blog.
These should be legible enough that you could hand them off to someone else and they would be able to make the site template (without content) for you. These sketches should show that you have taken into consideration the visual DESIGN of your site. Bring your sketches to class.
Check out these sites for more info on the principles of design:
http://www.digital-web.com/articles/principles_of_design/
http://www.digital-web.com/articles/elements_of_design/
http://www.digital-web.com/articles/principles_and_elements_of_design/

M/Tu 23/24 April: TUTORIAL: ROLLOVERS
in-class work day

W/Th 25/26 April: TUTORIAL: INSERTING MEDIA OBJECTS
LAST CLASS SESSION!
- ROUGH DRAFT of project due for feedback. This means at least 3 of your pages should be designed and uploaded for viewing on the WWW.

MONDAY MAY 7 by 5 pm: FINAL PROJECT DUE!
-Your complete website must be uploaded and you must send me a link to it by email as well as placing a CD-R with all your files in my mailbox. This deadline is firm: broken links, incomplete sites, or no CD submission will not receive extensions, no matter what the technical catasrophe.

Yogi Bear storyboard

2007-03-22T17:06:00.001-05:00

Chris Ware - TAL animation

2007-03-20T20:04:00.000-05:00

preview of a segment from Showtime's upcoming This American Life show, animated by Chris Ware:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid271557392/bctid666401814

animation from body scans

2007-03-20T20:00:00.000-05:00

See it here.

Accidental hard drive erasure cost Alaska $220,000

2007-03-20T19:55:00.000-05:00

Moral of the story: Always back-up your work in at least 2 locations.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/20/lost.data.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

PRINTING

2007-03-15T22:38:00.001-05:00

Click on image to enlarge.

Link to the PRINT project description.
+ NEVER print .PSD files!
+ To use your own paper, you must load it in tray 1, the bypass tray (it's the one above) that folds out. If you don't know how, ask me or get the lab monitor to help you. Always make sure it is LASERJET paper.
+ Print each image to a separate piece of paper. Don't forget to choose orientation and paper size as well as the printer in the Print & Page Setup options boxes. You should print a proof to the B&W printer to check for mistakes before printing your final draft in color.

Directions:
1- Finish your image and save it as a .PSD
2- Go to Layers > Flatten Image (Omit this step if your file has text).
3- Go to File > Print with Preview
4- Click on checkbox "Show more Options". Pull-down menu should be set to "Output".
5- Choose "Encoding: ASCII" (not Binary)
6- Click PRINT.
7- Click "Save as PDF"
8- Save the PDF copy of your file to your project folder.
9- Open the PDF and print it in Preview using "Print with Preview".

March 19-28 schedule: weeks 9-10

2007-03-15T21:55:00.000-05:00

MON Mar 19
PM class: cancelled so that you can attend this:
4:30 digital art lecture! MARK COOLEY in Library 321
Here's his website: http://www.flawedart.net. He also has work up now at Maryland Art Place.

TUES Mar 20
AM class: last work day for postcards. FT will meet with you individually to do mid-term assessments during class. We will only meet until 11:15.
12-1: I will give an artist talk in the Library 321 as candidate for the digital position.

WED/THURS Mar 21/22: POSTCARDS ARE DUE + STUDENT ART SHOW SUBMISSIONS TOO! Postcards must be printed BEFORE the start of class.
We will hang the postcards in the hallway upstairs for a Hall Walls show.
Cardstock will be available in the ProLab for you to print on... please use judiciously.
Don't forget that neatness counts when trimming your cards.

NB for WED PM class: Postcards are still due, but I have been asked to do a teaching demo for the faculty search committee and they will be visiting our class so we will have a special session.

MON Mar 26: Fereshteh in Chicago for lecture
PM class will meet with Andrew Kieper in Media Services, who will talk about his work and influences. Please go to Media Services on the 3rd floor of the library.

TUES Mar 27: Advising Day, no classes

WED/THURS Mar 28: intro to next project and tutorial/demo.

installation at thomas circle in DC

2007-03-15T13:16:00.000-05:00

See more of these tape sculpture horses here: http://www.xmarkjenkinsx.com/traffic-go-round.html

mid-atlantic art recommendations

2007-03-15T11:11:00.000-05:00

While on spring break, here are some exhibits you should check out!
Remember, going to a show off-campus is always eligible for your blog.

Installation art is all over the Hirschhorn Museum: Check out light works and collaboration between Pae White and Virgil Marti.

Jasper Johns prints and paintings are at the National Gallery in DC

31 first-year candidates in Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)'s, master of fine arts (M.F.A) programs are featured in a parallel series of group exhibitions in Bunting Center’s Pinkard Gallery (1401 Mount Royal Avenue), in Baltimore. Runs Friday, March 16 through Sunday, March 25, with an opening reception on Friday, March 16, 5–7 p.m., and open studios on Friday, March 16, 7–9 p.m.

In Words, curated by artist Lance Winn, will close March 21 at the University of DE Museum in Newark, DE.

The Contemporary in Baltimore has a show called CELL PHONE: Art and the Mobile Phone.

Speaking of cell phones, I have a piece featuring downloadable ringtones at Space 1026 in Philadelphia.

scan blog

2007-03-07T09:24:00.000-05:00

Do you know Malena? She was at SMCM before she transferred. Here is a blog she has where she scans some of her belongings: http://www.owningit.blogspot.com/

new blog feature

2007-03-06T14:37:00.000-05:00

I made a section to the right that will have links to some class documents.
The first one is for the postcard project info, in case you need to review it or you lost it since I distributed it in class.

mail art exchange

2007-03-05T21:10:00.000-05:00

Send them 15 stickers that you made (in Photoshop, perhaps?) and they will send you 15 stickers made by other artists from around the world: http://www.stickertraders.com/

How will this project be graded?

2007-03-04T18:44:00.000-05:00

Tips on what I'm looking for in the postcard project:

Begin by doing brief research on the people to find out who they are, Wikipedia is a good start. Then, from that general overview, choose two who are interesting to you even if you didn't know them before. Then you will do some more in-depth research about the people, finding interesting details or information about their lives. You don't have to use their faces or portraits in the postcard, you could represent them with symbols or other objects that could be associated with them. Your viewer may not know who it's about right away, but you want to give them information or clues in a visual form. Use the assignment as a basis for the choice of images you use.

As for the relationship, imagine what it would be like if they met, or if they were penpals, or if they lived during the same time period, or if they were lovers or went on a trip together to outerspace. Think of them as characters that you will create a fiction with. Maybe one person travels from the future to the past, when one of the other people lived.

The photos you take on your own can be anything, but could be used as a background or other element of the vingette you are creating. Perhaps one of the characters goes sailing on Saint Mary's River, or we find Calvert alive again roaming historic Saint Mary's City or driving a car. So you would take a photo of the river, the city, or even a car.

Think also about how this is a postcard and how postcards function: often they represent a place, and are used by tourists for a souvenir or to write home. Take advantage of this form and remember that the 2 postcards are meant to be shown together. So perhaps one will not have full form or meaning without the other.

The scans due on Wed/Thurs will be the raw images you will use for your piece, so for example, I might scan a picture of a Paris because I discovered that one of my people used to live there, or a picture of a swimming pool because I want them to be there. So I will need to visit the library to find a good image of Paris to scan in, because Google is not allowed. And then I will use Photoshop to put their body in that background. Or maybe I scan my sweater because I think it might make a good texture for the sky in a scene I'm creating.. Bringing in your photos will count too.

Of course as with any project, some element of creative brainstorming with pen and pencil, doodles, and word lists is the first step. Do some initial research and I'm sure you'll start getting some ideas for interesting images and elements you could use. The sketches due on Mon/Tues are a start for your to know what elements you want in your final piece.

For more guidance about mail art, you have to look at the work of Ray Johnson, I've given some places for you to start below.

portrait postcards by Ray Johnson

2007-03-04T18:21:00.000-05:00

LEFT: Emily Dickinson RIGHT: Jean Harlow + Marcel Duchamp

Ray Johnson, father of MAIL ART!

2007-03-04T18:14:00.000-05:00

article on Ray Johnson
In the early ’60s, Johnson turned his back on convention and gave his art away to anyone who interested him, via something he called the New York Correspondence School. He set up the tongue-in-cheek institution, infuriating dealers and delighting the friends and acquaintances who received the works. By sending his pieces through the mail, he created an international network of collectors and shattered boundaries in the art world, meanwhile remaining its best-kept secret.

“Johnson formed a complex, ‘pre-digital’ creative network,” notes Donna De Salvo, curator for the Whitney show and curator at large at the Wexner Arts Center at Ohio State University. Indeed, before there was an Internet, there was “Mail art, ” an unorthodox movement, currently in its fourth decade, that hails Johnson as its “Grand-dada.”

“Johnson’s mail-away art can’t be bought or sold but only received,” the late critic David Bourdon once remarked.

mail art and postcards

2007-03-04T17:48:00.000-05:00

What is mail art?
PostSecret is a gallery of postcard-sized images posted anonymously to unveil a secret. Shared confessions in art form.
postcard exhibit at the Smithsonian
postcard archive
vintage American postcards
long list of postcard sites
University of Delaware postcard collection
What kind of things can I send through the mail? Some amazing experiments testing the delivery standards of the United States Postal Service. Everything from balloons to $20 bills in clear envelopes.
US Postal Service guidelines

special note for the MW section

2007-03-01T21:14:00.000-05:00

I won't be in class Monday because I am giving a lecture at another school. To make up for it, you will need to attend the mid-term presentation/crits for AT LEAST FOUR of the graduating senior art majors.

To get credit for your blog, you need to write about the work and also what went on during the critique. Act as an arts reporter, since I won't be there: fill me in on everything I missed, and let me know your opinions about the work and the discussion as well!

I will be checking your sketches+proposals on your blogs so don't forget about the homework... check the class blog over the weekend for some examples of mail art and postcard design.

Monday, March 5th from 6-8:45pm
Studio SMP critiques

6pm Reena: sculpture in the sculpture studio
6:15 Ashley: fibers/portraits in the painting room
6:30 Tom: photography in the drawing room
6:45 Vanessa: drawing/painting in the drawing room
7 dinner break
7:45 Jeannie: sculpture in the Boyden Gallery
8 Erica: photo and participatory: gallery or ?
8:15 Hilary: photography, hallway wall
8:30 Amy: children's book illustration, hallway wall

photographic alterations

2007-03-01T21:05:00.000-05:00

photo hoax test

media photo retouching on female model

digital tampering timeline by cs professor at dartmouth

If you buy your own paper

2007-03-01T12:34:00.000-05:00

Remember that the printers in the Monty Lab are laser jet (NOT ink jet)
and for cardstock it should be weighted at least 110 LB

Mike, Merry, & Alice's photomontage

2007-03-01T10:59:00.000-05:00

Both of these images were created by using two different scans. We used the sweetgum ball arrangement in both pictures, and we created the background for the images by moving a candycane and a Motts applesauce lid on the scanner.

Rachel, Carly, and Winnie's Scans

2007-03-01T10:44:00.000-05:00

We gathered a rock, a pinecone, a leaf, a burr, a cigarette butt, a piece of a brick, and some paper. We made a scan montage out of that, and then we scanned a flyer while moving it to create the background. We added the flyer as a transparent layer in photoshop to make our masterpiece :)

2007-03-01T10:42:00.000-05:00

Marc, Shinae, and Anne collected object from nature and scanned them into the computer. Then we scanned Shinae's glasses and collaged them into the original scan. Here is the resulting image:

Gina and Teresa's Fantastic Head

2007-02-28T19:45:00.000-05:00

The skull came from Archeology magazine. The hair is scans of our wonderful hair. The thermmeter is a composit of two scans of a thermometer from the photolab. The static on the television is a scan of Teresa's awesome belt moving around. The 'water' on the bottom is a picture of a guitar moving around.

Ashley, Emily, & Elizabeth's Scan Project

2007-02-28T19:24:00.000-05:00

In this scan we used a flyer for Jason Watson's art exhibition that we stole, a Now & Later wrapper we found in the trash, and a headscarf. We have a still headscarf scan as well as a still scan of the flyer and Now & Later wrapper. We overlapped a moving scan of the headscarf over the other still images.

Tom, Alexis and Cassie's Fun Scan

2007-02-28T19:09:00.000-05:00

This is Tom, Alexis and Cassie's awesome scan! We used a leaf, Alexis' earrings, a brochure about the Baltimore Opera and a chinese food delivery bag, oh yes... and Tom's hands... We used the magnetic lasso, cropper, clone stamp, and even made a paint brush! We hope you enjoy our fun montage!

skin deep

2007-02-28T17:11:00.000-05:00

repetition

2007-02-19T19:29:00.000-05:00

Cassandra C. Jones is an artist who manipulates images in-camera and using the computer. Check out her flamingo and cheerleader wallpaper at this link.

26 Feb - 8 March :: weeks 7-8 schedule

2007-02-19T15:33:00.000-05:00

26/27 February
reading: William S. Burroughs Right-click to download the PDF. Post a one-paragraph response to your blog with at least one opinion and one question.
in-class: intro to postcard project, visit to gallery

28 Feb/1 March
-HW: Enter a contest on http://www.worth1000.com. This serves as the EXERCISE for our unit on still images. You will be able to link to your entry once the contest voting begins. Contests are rated by level of difficulty, so choose one that is appropriate to your experience. Contests have deadlines so don't wait too long to submit your entry and make sure you enter BEFORE the start of class today! You will have more to choose from if you start working early. Top score from each class will receive a prize next week. Save one version of your image as a PSD, and one version as a JPG to your USB/flash drive. Post the JPG to your blog with a caption and comments.
in-class: using the scanner

5/6 March
HW: sketches scanned and posted to your blog along with your proposal for the postcards

7/8 March
HW: Scans for postcards. Save 1 version of your scans to your flash drive at 180 DPI, and post a 72 DPI version of your scans to your blog.
in-class: work on the postcards

WED homework

2007-02-13T18:36:00.000-05:00

For the DADA homework, it will help your reader if you include an image of the 2 pieces you are discussing. You can do this by doing a right-click on the image (before you zoom in) and going to "Copy Image Location". Then you can include the image by uploading it to your site, like this photomontage by Hannah Hoch.

FTP for Freesound

2007-02-12T20:27:00.000-05:00

To FTP to Freesound, please use another free FTP program (like Fugu) called Cyberduck (easy) in the main lab, or try your hand at the command line in Terminal (advanced).

sometimes I say important things in class

2007-02-12T16:33:00.000-05:00

Most keyboards and USB hubs operate from power supplied by the USB ports to which they are connected; this does not leave enough power for some brands of flash drive to operate properly. To avoid this, always connect the flash drive to a USB port that is DIRECTLY ON the computer. This means you should not use ones on the monitor (unless the monitor is also the computer), keyboard, or other peripherals. This should allow it to power up properly.

Mac 101: The Finder

2007-02-11T20:45:00.001-05:00

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=304725

12-22 Feb schedule :: weeks 5-6

2007-02-08T14:16:00.000-05:00

12/13 February
in class: quiz on audio, digital, and mac osx basics (see studysheet below)
LAB: Lynda.com tutorials: introduction, opening/closing documents, about the document, interface and palette tour, undo and history

14/15 February :: no class, FHT at College Art Association meeting
LAB: in lieu of class, you must COMPLETE these Lynda.com tutorials:
Resizing, Cropping and Rotating, Image Adjustments, Saving Your Files, Selections, Layers
HW: post to your blog about Dada. Explore the following website from the National Gallery of Art. Read all 10 descriptions of the 10 art TECHNIQUES used by Dada artists:
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2006/dada/techniques/
Then, choose an artist from list in the BIOGRAPHIES section of the site. Discuss how she or he used the techniques by analyzing at least 2 of his/her pieces. Use the site to zoom in on the images for more detail. Some of the examples also have audio descriptions that will give you more insight about the work. I will be grading these while I'm away so make sure you have posted by your class time otherwise they will be considered LATE.

19/20 Feb
-HW: Read imaging info, pg 2-17 (until figure 13) of this PDF. Write the answers for the review questions 1-20 that are listed in the back of the chapter: I WILL COLLECT THIS. Associated tutorial exercises are not required, but may be helpful to you. Find them here: "Chapter 2: Fundamentals of Digital Imaging"
-in-class: Finish the tutorials and be prepared to discuss the Dada art and techniques that you blogged about last week
-intro to exercise + project 1

21/22 Feb
-HW: each of you will demonstrate a Photoshop technique to the class
1-gradients: Cassie, Winnie
2-brush tool: Gina, Merry
3-clone stamp: Tom, Anne
4-lasso + magnetic lasso: Teresa, Marc
5-quick mask: Emily, Alice
6-eraser + erase to history: Ashley, Shinae
7-healing brush + patch: Elizabeth, Rachel
8- sharpen + smudge + magic wand: Casey, Mike
9-dodge, burn, paint bucket: Alexis, Carly

study sheet for the quiz on Mon/Tues 12/13 Feb

2007-02-08T14:09:00.000-05:00

PDF of the study sheet
(no, it won't be open-notes)

how to FTP

2007-02-06T16:16:00.000-05:00

Using FUGU, or any other File Transfer Protocol program (aka FTP), you can access space to store your files. Later we will use this to publish some simple websites, but for now we are using it so that you can make a link from your blog to your MP3s. You must use "SFTP" (this is set automatically Fugu).

HOST: www.smcm.edu.
USERNAME: smcm system username
PW: smcm system(email) password

For more information, consult the SMCM Tech Resources site.

I always had this idea that doing art was just a masturbatory activity, and didn't really help anybody.

2007-02-05T17:29:00.000-05:00

Interviewer: What led you to become an artist?
JB: I always had this idea that doing art was just a masturbatory activity, and didn't really help anybody. I was teaching kids in the California Youth Authority, an honor camp where they send kids instead of sending them to prison. One kid came to me one day and asked if I would open up the arts and crafts building at night so they could work. I said, "If all of you guys will cool it in the classes, then I'll baby-sit you." Worked like a charm. Here were these kids that had no values I could embrace, that cared about art more than I. So, I said, "Well, I guess art has some function in society," and I haven't gotten beyond that yet, but it was enough to convince me that art did some good somehow. I just needed a reason that wasn't all about myself.

LINK TO MP3 CONVERSATION OF BALDESSARI AT THE HIRSCHHORN MUSEUM, DC

Art & Art History department lecture: Heather McGuire on John Baldessari
Wednesday, Feb 7th, Library 321, 4:30
Heather McGuire was graduated from the University of Virginia (B.A. English) and VCU (B.F.A. Crafts). She worked as a curatorial assistant on the Hirshhorn's Visual Music exhibition and curated several gallery shows in Richmond, VA. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in Art History at VCU and beginning her dissertation on John Baldessari's Blasted Allegories. Visit http://www.1708gallery.org/ and click on Exhibitions: Current for a show Heather curated of 2 contemporary artists.

digitizing your recorded audio

2007-02-04T23:03:00.000-05:00

There are various sizes for audio cables. From left to right these are:
- 2.5 mm mono
- 3.5 mm (aka 1/8" or mini) mono and stereo
- 6.3 mm (aka 1/4") stereo

You can tell if it's mono or stereo by the number of rings on the jack: one = mono signal and two = stereo signal.

To bring your recorded audio in to the computer, it is necessary that you have a cable with two 1/8" jacks at both ends. This is an analog, not digital connection. It can be used with both cassette tape and mini-disc.

The jack on left is the 1/8-inch stereo audio input jack, which allows you to connect any audio source directly to the Mac, including a microphone. After you connect, you will need to press play on your tape player. Then press the RECORD button in the Audacity interface, and you will see the audio signal visibly as a track.

The jack on the right is for output only.

audio project questions

2007-01-31T18:42:00.000-05:00

Q: Where is the project description and the Janet Cardiff sound file?
A: To find older items on the blog, just do a search or look under the LABELS list on the side bar. Try "schedule", "project 1" or "artists".

Q: Can I convert an MP3 to a WAV so that I can use it in my project?
A: No. You can convert from a larger file (WAV) to a smaller file (MP3), but not the other way around. It's like trying to expand a sweater that shrank in the wash. Doing so is bad practice and just plain silly.

Q+A: How do I attribute my sources from Freesound?

Q: What are other sites where I can find sound clips?
A: Recording your own sounds is your best option, but you may also try these:
Find Sounds is a search engine that will allow you to search by file type and size.
Sound Dogs is an online sound effects library.
Archive.org is a giant library of all kinds of media, including audio, video, and text.

Q+A: What is Ogg Vorbis?

Q+A: What is FLAC?

Q: Can I use FLAC or Ogg Vorbis for my project?
A: No, because Audacity does not yet support this FLAC, and because Ogg Vorbis is a compressed file type (like MP3s).

Q: What can I check out from Media Services?
A: You can get audio, video and photo equipment, headphones, mics, adapters, and a lot more. Just be sure not to wait until the last minute, as other people might have things checked out.

Q: What is the lending policy at Media Services?
A: AV equipment may be checked out by any student with a college ID. All equipment is checked out for 24-48 hrs.

Q: What are the hours for Media Services?
Here are our extended hours with night shift and student workers for the weekend:
M-Th 8am-10pm
Fridays 8am-5pm
Sat 11am-7pm
Sun 1pm-9pm
You can pickup equipment anytime they are open, but they can provide more support and instruction during the hours the regular staff is in - weekdays 9-5.

Perception-Guided Image Editing

2007-01-31T16:35:00.000-05:00

This event is eligible for one of the 5 cultural event blogs you need to do for the semester.

Thursday, February 1, 2007
at 4:10 in Schaefer Hall 134

Perception-Guided Image Editing
Reynold Bailey
Washington University in St. Louis

Traditional artists have developed numerous techniques for creating
interesting visual effects. Many of these artists had very little
knowledge of the inner workings of the human visual system. Instead,
they viewed the human visual system as a black box and through
experimentation they learned to exploit its features. In a sense they
have reverse engineered the human visual system to learn what type of
inputs elicit certain responses in the brain. Modern research from the
fields of Biology, Physics, Psychology, Physiology, and Neuroscience
has given us better insight into the functioning of the human visual
system. Although the visual system is far from being fully understood,
the knowledge we have gained, especially of the early stages of the
visual pathway, is quite substantial.

Modern image editing software is widely used by professional artists
and novices and alike for tasks such as photo retouching, image
authoring and image composition. Commercial software packages such as
Adobe Photoshop and even free packages such as the GNU Image
Manipulation Program (The GIMP) provide powerful image editing and
manipulation features. These features, while mathematically sound,
typically do not take human visual perception into account. In this
presentation, I will discuss a new class of image editing techniques
that are designed to exploit the features of the human visual
system. These techniques can be used to manipulate apparent depth in
an image, create an illusion of motion, and direct the viewer's gaze
about the scene.

life-saving tips

2007-01-26T16:29:00.000-05:00

the top 2 rules for working with digital media:
1-always save to a folder on the desktop...
never save directly to your flash-drive or g-drive
2-back up your project in at least 2 different locations

What this means:
-When you begin working on a project, create a folder that serves as a container to hold your project files. Set scratch disks (see post below) to save to that folder.
-When you finish working for the day, COPY THE FOLDER FROM THE DESKTOP to your flash drive AND g-drive, CD, or other media.
-When you return to work another time, insert the flash-drive into the computer and DRAG THE WORK FOLDER ON TO YOUR DESKTOP.
-Always eject your flash-drive, do not just yank it out of the USB port.

student art club meeting

2007-01-25T20:51:00.000-05:00

Monday, Feb. 5 at 8 pm in the painting studio with free pizza.
Email Monica at mlmilstead@smcm.edu if you are interested or just show up to talk about art activities like a field trip to NYC and the art club film series.

audio project due 7/8 Feb

2007-01-25T17:57:00.000-05:00

31 Jan/1 Feb: written proposal due
7/8 Feb: final project due for critiques

The concept for the sound art project is to create a JOURNEY from one place to another. These could be imaginary places or real places, but you will need to have them defined before you start working. Consider the wide range of choices, from the planet Mars to the St. Mary's River. Brainstorm the possibilities for sounds that might represent your places, and what the listener will experience along the way. See http://soundtransit.nl/book/ for inspiration, as well as the links to other projects that address SOUND+PLACE, below.

Technical Requirements:
1-The piece must use at least one 10 second (or longer) clip of a sound that you recorded yourself, either vocals or concrete sounds.
2-The piece must use at least 3 tracks.
3-No songs or music unless you recorded it yourself.
4-You may use additional samples from Freesound, but you may not add any clips that are not under an appropriate license (no copyrighted material).
5-Final mix-down should be at least 1 minute long, but no longer than 3 minutes.
6-Burn your piece as a playable (not data) CD, and bring your project folder with all work files on flash drive. Include one version of your mix-down as a WAV.
7-Post an MP3 version of your project to your blog.

SOUND+PLACE links for inspiration:
Sonic Postcards
Location-Dislocation
Listening to Nature
Falling Echos - Bill Fontana
I am Driving Through Sound Space
Silence of the Lands
Sound Transit
Sonic City
Audiomobile
LocoSound
Broadcast your Podcast

making sure Audacity works for you

2007-01-23T14:31:00.000-05:00

Tutorials due for Wed/Th: http://www.edhsonline.org/other/audacity/
Always work from the desktop, not from your flash drive and never from the G-drive.

CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE.1- BEFORE you open Audacity, trash your preferences. This means that you will remove any settings and configurations from previous work sessions, so that you can start with a clean slate every time. Go to your HOME directory > LIBRARY > PREFERENCES > Audacity Preferences. It is a stand-alone file. Send it to the TRASH! (See above screen capture image for an illustration of the path).

2- Open Audacity directly from the applications folder, not from the dock and not by double clicking on your project file. Then open your .aup file through FILE > OPEN.

3- CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE.
Before working in Audacity, EVERYTIME YOU OPEN THE PROGRAM, you need to set your scratch disks. This process tells the program where you will be storing your work files. Go to PREFERENCES > DIRECTORY and choose the FOLDER that you created on the DESKTOP for your project. You may have to restart the program, but you will not have to re-set the scratch disks until the next time you log on.

4- Save early and often.
5- Check the forums for advice

When you record:
++ Remember, you will need a stereo mic and a stereo XLR-mini adaptor when you check out a microphone from Media Services.

questions from the first reading

2007-01-23T14:16:00.000-05:00

These were questions and observations generated by the group from the Bourriaud reading. They relate to the underlying concepts behind new media and so we will revisit this discussion many times over the course of the semester.

Is there an "original"? What does it mean to make "new" work?
When is it OK for an artist to appropriate material from other sources?
What rights of ownership do artists have in work that uses reproductive or appropriated material?
What is the difference between the ready-made and the sample?
If artists are working with recombinative processes to cite creative works from a vast archive of history, how will anything new be added to the database of works that can be borrowed, quoted, and sampled for the future?
What is post-modernism?

contemporary Situationists + detournement

2007-01-23T13:44:00.000-05:00

David Rees - Get Your War On + my new filing technique is unstoppable
Barbara Krueger
Glowlab - artist collective
In the Flow, art exhibit

Link to the documentary about the Situationist International

2007-01-22T19:41:00.001-05:00

http://www.ubu.com/film/si.html

sound art links

2007-01-22T19:00:00.000-05:00

William Burroughs sound cut-ups
William Burroughs film cut-ups
Yoko Ono - Cough Piece 1961/63
John Lennon - Radio Play
Milan Knizak - Broken Music Composition, 1979
Laurie Anderson - Two Songs for Tape Bow Violin, 1977
DJ Food - Raiding the 20th Century, 2004
Gregory Whitehead - various
DJ Spooky - Radio Radio
Steve Reich - live concert, 1970

schedule for 24/25 Jan - 7/8 Feb

2007-01-22T17:37:00.000-05:00

W/Th 24/25 Jan
-Bart Simpson audacity tutorial due. Unless you are working from home on a PC you can skip the part about installing the program.
-blog about one of the sound art projects listed above, under "sound art links"
-in-class: intro to audio principles slide show and digital basics, continued

M/Tu 29/30 Jan
Mon. Jan. 29, 4:30 pm LIBRARY 321 - Lance Winn: drawing, robotics, sculpture
exercise 1 due: an audio re-mix using 3 samples from The Freesound Project. You will need an account to download the audio files. Requirements: You may only use .WAV or .AIFF files - no MP3s. Final mix-down will be at least 30 seconds long, with at least 2 tracks of audio. Bring your WAV/AIFF file and the original 3 files to class saved to your flash drive. The attribution aspect of the Creative Commons license requires you to give credit to the original authors, so you will need the names of the users who provided the files for your project. The easiest way to keep track is to make sure that you don't re-name the files you download from Freesound.

W/Th 31 Jan/1 Feb
-writen concept summary + proposal for audio project due - post this to your blog
-Lynda.com tutorial fee due

M/Tu 5/6 Feb
- Gather sounds for your project. Equipment may be checked out from Media Services for recording.
- Post to your blog about the Janet Cardiff radio interview (#1 below) and respond to how she uses the three-level spatial structure in her piece (#2 below). This is described on the class handout. Do not multitask while you do this. Treat it as if you are studying an essay. Folding your socks is possible, but trying to write email or do other homework while you listen is not OK.
-in class: discussion about Janet Cardiff & studio time to work on projects
1- radio piece about Janet Cardiff
2-her project for Whitechapel Gallery in London

W/Th 7/8 FEBRUARY
final audio project due (see post with project description)

reading for 22/23 Jan

2007-01-18T12:58:00.000-05:00

The reading due for 22/23 Jan is now posted. Download the link by clicking here: "The Use of Forms", an essay from the book Postproduction by art theorist Nicolas Bourriaud. Be prepared to discuss this writing in class, in addition to researching at least one of the artists or art movements mentioned in the article. Use your blog to link to the information you found.

January art events

2007-01-18T09:04:00.000-05:00

You are required to attend at least 5 cultural events this semester and write about them in your blog. Eligible events are listed in the "Cultural Events Calendar" in the LINKS section of the blog, to the right. More will be added as they come up, but don't put it off until the end of the semester. The first two are in January, so you could get a couple out of the way already.

Wed. Jan. 24, 4:30 – 6:00 pm BOYDEN GALLERY in Monty 2nd floor
Melissa Dean: Opening reception and artist talk - you must write about the artist talk, not just the food at the opening :)

Mon. Jan. 29, 4:30 pm LIBRARY 321
Lance Winn: drawing, robotics, sculpture

syllabus

2007-01-15T22:01:00.000-05:00

LINK TO COURSE POLICIES.
This is the initial syllabus which is the contract you agree to by being enrolled in this course. Remember that things are subject to change so make sure you check this blog and your Saint Mary's email regularly. To download the PDF, right-click/cntrl-click to get the drop down menu and choose "Save link as". I will not be distributing this on paper.

getting to know you

2007-01-15T21:39:00.000-05:00

Go to this link and follow the directions.

key commands you should know

2007-01-15T21:14:00.000-05:00

Command-O Open
Command-S Save
Shift-Command-S Save as
Command-P Print
Command-W Close Window
Command-T create new tab (esp. useful for browsing in Firefox)
Command-I Get Info
Command-D Duplicate
Command-Delete Move to Trash
Command-E Eject
Command-F Find
Command-Z Undo
Command-X Cut
Command-C Copy
Command-V Paste
Command-A Select All

And there are lots more, check it out here.

weeks 1-2 schedule

2007-01-15T18:41:00.000-05:00

16/17 Jan
-in-class: Q&A, lab intro
-set up a Blogger account
-make sure you can access Blackboard & log-in to MACs

18 Jan (MON-WED section will do these next week!)
-HW: be prepared for quiz on the syllabus
-in-class: hardware and OS basics

22/23 Jan
-HW: read Bourriaud article (check back for PDF to download), write response in your blog, make sure you have purchased your storage media (at least 1GB on USB flash drive), reply to e-mail to become a member of the class blog
-in-class: Audacity demo, intro to project & exercise 1

24/25 Jan
WED: 4:30 Artist Lecture by MELISSA DEAN, Boyden Gallery in Monty
-HW: Audacity tutorial at http://www.edhsonline.org/other/audacity/
-in-class: work on exercise 1, audio cut-up