Instructor: Nita Sturiale
Email: nsturiale at massart dot edu
Office hours: by apt.

Many of the course materials, important schedule changes, and appropriate links are online via the following URL http://www.nitasturiale.com/massart. Please check the online syllabus linked from this page often throughout the semester.

Course Description:

This course is a collaborative introduction to the Internet as an artistic medium. This course introduces web-based technologies and architecture, website layout and construction, along with digital sound and video. You will learn technical skills by creating your own web sites while also addressing conceptual issues related to this artistic medium. This course explores the Internet and its cultural implications, the development and design of a web site, including the graphics, text, and hypertext, and other issues related to successful website creation. Relevant historical background of the Internet will be discussed along with approaches for developing one's own artistic voice using this medium. Methods for planning a site through flow charts, storyboards, site maps, and prototypes will be covered in addition to implementing, updating and maintaining a website. An introduction to HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and HTML editing software is addressed. Digital sound, vector-based animation, and digital video for the web will be introduced. This is a Mac-based course but cross platform issues will also be addressed.This class is designed to provide you with an opportunity to immerse yourself in these tools - in all their complexity - as you use them for making your art.

Topics:

• Internet as artisitic medium
• Campus Network
• Web Project Proposal Writing
• Storyboards and Click-throughs 
• Image Editing, Compression and Resolution Review
• History and Overview of the World Wide Web
• Clients, Servers, Protocols and The Web
• Online Communication, Collaboration, Communities
• HTML and WYSIWYG editors (Dreamweaver)
• Interface design and graphic layout (introductory CSS)
• Dynamic web content (PHP, RSS, WEB 2.0)
• Vector graphics, animation, and interactivity (Flash)
• Digital Video and Sound (podcasting)
• Issues related to launching your site
• The Future of the Web

Course Objectives:

The objective of this course to expose students to what is creatively possible on the web, provide time to practice web publishing skills, and collect the resources neccesary to enable students to continue their own self-study after the course is over. Additionally, each student will launch a web-based project that demonstrates their newfound skills.

• Be present in body - come to class on time - more than two unexcused absences, or chronic lateness may result in a NC grade,

• Be present in mind and mouth - participate in class discussion and critique sessions,

• Participate in group exercises when applicable,

• Read the readings and be prepared to discuss them in class.  

• Complete all assignments (see below) by the due date - if you can't make the due date, discuss an extension with Nita.  End of the semester grades of INC are not automatic just because you haven't finished your work - you may request one with good reasons and with two weeks notice before the last class.

• You'll need to get your own Web Server Space - either at Massart (contact Fred WolfLink - fredless@massart.edu) or secure your own web server account privately.

• Finally, please purchase a "how to" book for Dreamweaver and Flash. If you are starting out, I highly recommend the Visual QuickStart Guides by PeachPit Press. You can get these books at a variety of local bookstores and online - check half.com.

1.

Create 6 images that represent what you are thinking about artistically in digital slide show format.

Sept 19

2.

Online click-through of a web-based artwork idea (start with a pencil sketch).

Oct 3

3.

Find a web-based artwork, write a description of the work (what interesting about it? what is it's cultural significance? how is the web imperative for it's success? in what way is this work related to your own?), then post this description to the yahoo group site (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/artinternet - you'll need to create an account to use this group).

Ongoing

4.

Web Artwork Proposal.

Oct 10

5.

Web Artwork Proposal Revision.

Oct 24

6.

Present Web Artwork in progress for critique.

Ongoing

7.

Two Written Reading Responses - you may post these to the yahoo group or hand in.

Oct 3
&
Nov 21

8..

Mid-Term Self-Evaluation:
http://www.nitasturiale.com/massart/eval/mideval.html

Nov 7

9..

Final Self-Evaluation:
http://www.nitasturiale.com/massart/eval/finaleval.html

Dec 12

10.

Present Final Web Artwork.

Last two class meetings

About Grades:

This is a Pass/Fall class. You'll pass if you meet the requirements and complete all the assignments on time. The grade of Honors is reserved for those that go far above and beyond the requirements in the instructor's view (they never miss a class, bring in additional resources pertaining to the topic, create projects that exceed expectations, consistently and thoughtfully engage in conversations by listening to classmates and extending the quality of discussion, etc). The grade of INC is only awarded based on your conversation with the faculty, and at their discretion, at least two weeks before the last class.

Additional Thoughts:

Our goal is to learn things we don't already know towards the long-term goal of being effective and articulate artists. A teacher's responsibility is to present information and provocations in a structured environment that will help you learn. Your responsibility is to fully participate in this environment by voicing your interests, thoughts, and questions, as well as listening to your classmates. Class participation, discussion and attention is fundamental and required. You are expected to bring new ideas, different perspectives, and observations into the content of the course.Artists express ideas, information, opinions, questions, thoughts, dreams, aesthetic sensibilities, etc. Digital media provides artists with new tools and methods that are faster, easily duplicated and more powerful than traditional media. Learning how to use these tools is just as challenging as learning how to throw a clay pot without it collapsing or calculating the math involved in architectural drafting. Patience, a sense of humor, and a willingness to try new things without fear is required. In most cases, you won't break the computer unless you throw it out a window (which you may want to do at times).

Sept 12

Sept 19

Sept 26

Oct 3

Oct 10

Oct 17

Oct 24

Oct 31

Nov 7

Nov 14

Nov 21

Nov 28

Dec 5

Dec 12