SYLLABUS

Fall 2008 M/W 4-6:40

Where?

Mondays: 229
Wednesdays: 336E
Changes to the class location will be posted no later than 24 hours before class meetings.

course goals & objectives

This course looks at the production and reception of images through a combination of historical, theoretical and practical perspectives. A variety of contexts from contemporary art, design and popular culture will be explored through research and visual projects. Special consideration will be given to current forms of reproduction, with students learning and utilizing common methods for rendering and realizing still images, including both print and screen-based output.

Students will be exposed to historical and theoretical models for understanding images and pictures, using these models as starting points for directed investigations into the production of their own images and analysis. Following completion of the course, students should be versed in the dominant methods for understanding visual culture and in the basic skills used in the production of images. Specifically, they should have developed the ability to analyze images in art, design and popular culture, including their own work as cultural producers.

The course will take on the understanding and production of visual culture through 5 concepts.
1. Iconography
2. Semiotics
3. Collage/Montage
4. Sequence
5. Image Acts

The first two (Iconography and Semiotics) focus on the methodological understanding of how images can be understood and analyzed - i.e. how meaning is communicated through them.
The next two (Collage/Montage and Sequence) introduce two modern and contemporary forms of making images.
The last section (Image Acts) is an exploration of more recent theories about the role of images in culture and society.

The Goals and Objectives stated above will be accomplished through a sequence of readings, analysis and discussion of key texts and artworks. These examples will be the basis for visual projects that will facilitate the practical exploration of both the theoretical concepts and skill sets covered.

This semester, we will channel these Goal and Objectives through an investigation of the space/place we inhabit, the twin cities of Urbana-Champaign.

required texts

+ There are 2 kinds of required books we will be using in this class: 1) software primers/tutorials 2) thematic theory. All books MUST be obtained no later than the second week of classes.

1) Software tutorials
There are a few options for what and how you obtain these books. One option is to purchase electronic access to them through Lynda.com, which I have set up for the class at a cost of $42. I will be sending you an email with information about how to do this.
The other option is to buy the books from a retailer in town or online, most of these books run around $20-30 new. Here are links to Amazon:
Visual Quick Start Guides:
Photoshop, Illustrator
Hands On Training Books:
Photoshop, Illustrator

2) Tim Cresswell's Place: A Short Introduction - This book will be put on reserve in the Library (here's a link to its location there). It can also be purchased from Amazon (i recommend checking the used selections). If you do not have a credit card or other method for obtaining books online, you can order through me, but you must pay in cash at the time of order.

supplies + facilities

+ USB or firewire portable hard drive (can be a flash drive of sufficient size)

+ folder/binder for archiving work completed in class.

Notebook & pen/pencil- you must always have a notebook in class in which to make notes. There is a lot of technical information that will not be repeated, and students are responsible for the information presented during demos and lectures.

headphones (any music or video you watch as an individual in the lab should ALWAYS be done with headphones)

You are responsible for following the guidelines for using the A&D Computing facilities.
NO FOOD OR DRINK EVER IN THE LABS
Download a PDF of the policy here.
Equipment and Software Lists available here.
Lab Locations and Hours available here.

facility fee

Students taking courses in the Art+Design Resource Lab are all assessed a facility access fee. This fee supports acquisition and maintenance of computers, peripheral equipment and software, and helps provide technical support.

grading criteria

Regular attendance is a necessity, as is classroom participation. Both will have a crucial bearing on your final grade.
Excessive absences [3 or more] can lower a grade by one full letter or more.
Only absences resulting from extreme illness or otherwise documentable circumstances (such as a family emergency or emergency hospital/doctor visit) will be "excused". All other absences will be counted.
Two late arrivals to class will constitute an absence.
Writing assignments will be graded on a credit / no credit basis, and will also be a deciding factor in each student's final grade.

If you show up without required work, you will be considered absent. Projects not delivered on time will receive one letter grade deduction for every weekday not delivered.

The artwork created in class will be evaluated and graded according to the following criteria, and is not a relative scale based on the output of the class (i.e. no bell curve guarantee):

A outstanding; thoughtful and intelligent ideas presented in a clear, organized, and engaging manner; both concept and execution illustrate critical thinking and engagement with course material.
B good; the ideas are interesting and successfully presented; shows potential, but not necessarily distinctive.
C mediocre; achieves minimum requirements of the assignment, but not particularly clear, successful, or ambitious.
D poor; does not satisfy the minimum requirements of the assignment; generally unsatisfactory in terms of quality and clarity.
F you probably didn't submit a finished assignment.

Your final grade will be determined roughly as follows:

100 points for each project
50pts for each reading assignment (in the form of written responses)
100pts class participation (in the form of contributions to group discussions)

workload i suggest you budget 5 - 6 hours a week for doing course work outside of our classtime.

Be aware of the University's Policy on Academic Integrity + Nondiscrimination as they apply to this class