Nita's Class Resources

MassArt Fall 1999

SF 174
Visual Language

Mondays 2:00 am - 6:00 p.m.

Room 304 - South Bldg.

Instructor: Nita Sturiale

Home phone: 617-625-9307

Office hours: Please make apt.

nita@artscience.org

www.massart.edu~nita

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Syllabus

"An introduction to visual surface, conceptual thinking, composition, and negative space; Research, clear communication of concepts, solving problems, developing a sense of process, media, material selection and presentation skills are essential to developing a powerful visual language. Studies include line, value, shape, form, texture, pattern, space, and time. Students learn how visual language can be employed to achieve specific project goals. The critique process helps students develop criteria such as clarity of concept and technical execution for evaluating their own work."

[from the MassArt catalog]

Sept 13

Introductions; Course Requirements; Chauvet Cave Art; Website Critique exercise; Intentionality.

Tools

Your eyes and your mind

Reading

Lambert, Craig, "The Stirring of Sleeping Beauty"
Stilgoe, "Chapter 1", Outside lies Magic

Assignment

Observe your surroundings and take notes/sketches on what you notice.

Sept 20

Discuss your notes/sketches from last week’s assignment.

Tools

Digital Camera, PhotoShop

Reading

Wu, Corinna, "Supernormal Vision", Science News, Nov 15 1997.

Assignment

Bring in 3 images related to your thoughts from previous assignment.

Sept 27

Visit to Gesture Computer Lab, 3rd Floor, Tower Bldg.; Discuss your images; Digitize them.

Tools

Scanning, PhotoShop

Reading

Tufte, "Escaping Flatland", Envisioning Information (on reserve in Library)

Assignment

Study #1 LINE - examine your ideas of what "Line" is and produce a visual response based on your images from previous week, these images should be used for all the studies.

Oct 4

Critique Studies;

Reading

Lerman, Liz, "Toward a Process for Critical Response"

Assignment

Study #2 VALUE

Oct 18

Critique Studies.

Reading

Various reading selections about the human visual system.

Tools

KPT quickshow program

Assignment

Study #3 SHAPE and FORM (two weeks for this one)

Oct 25

Critique Studies.

Tools

Premiere - digital video editing with single frame pict images created in Photoshop

Nov 1

Visit exhibit 11th floor gallery.

Presentations

Mwaura

Roseanna

Erich

Josh

Rusty

Dan

Paul

Reading

Verostko, Roman, "Algorithms and the Artist"

Assignment

Write a response (a paragraph, a page, a chapter, a novel - whatever it takes) to an excerpt from any of the readings already handed out or from one of the readings and books listed in the bibliography. Ask me for suggestions regarding your interests.
Two more projects/artworks due that deal with TEXTURE, PATTERN, SPACE and TIME. Think about how you are using VISUAL LANGUAGE to express a specific idea, message, information, etc....

Nov 8

Presentations

Megan
Heather
Violet
John

Reading

Angier, Natalie, "The Shock of the Natural; Works in Brooklyn Have a Long Tradition" NY Times

Nov 15

Reading responses due

Presentations

Mwaura

Amy

Violet

Josh

Carolyn

John

Dan

Camara

Andrea

Nov 22

Presentations

Paul
Heather
Rusty
Ashley
Liz
Roseanna
Andrea

Nov 29

Presentations

Violet
Roseanna
Meghan
Ashley
Erich
John
Carolyn
Andrea

Dec 6 Last Class *

Presentations

Liz
Mwaura and Dan
Amy
John
Rusty
Josh
Paul
Camara
Heather

*Important note: Bring Snacks!

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Course Requirements

Be present in body - attend class.
Be present in mind - participate in class discussion.
Read the readings, take notes and be prepared to discuss the readings at length in class.
Be prepared to present study assignments each week. You should present at least 5 times.
Hand in a reading response based on a reading from the handouts or the bibliography.

The above is required in order to get credit for this course.

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SF 174 Visual Language

SF 174
Visual Language