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Syllabus
Department of Digital Arts: Fall 2016
Pratt Institute: School of Art + Design
Wednesday, 5‐7:50
Myrtle Hall, Room 4W-8
Instructor: Allison Berkoy
Contact: aberkoy@pratt.edu
Office Hours by appointment
Class GitHub Repository: https://github.com/DDA-617-01-Languages/Fall16
This course is an introduction to programming as a means of artistic expression. The focus is on developing computer languages literacy with an emphasis on techniques and applications to the visual arts. The goal is to facilitate the expression, concept realization and enable rapid idea prototyping. Programming concepts will be related to concepts from 20th century art history and parallel developments in contemporary visual arts. Instruction is based primarily in Processing, but will explore other coding platforms so that students are familiar with the various types of languages.
This course will provide the programming fundamentals necessary to create software based and software driven art and design. In addition, the course can be used as a stepping stone towards more complex (but not necessarily more powerful) programming environments such as Javascript, ActionScript, MEL, Java, C/C++, OpenFrameWorks.
Please bring the following to every class:
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Learning Processing: A Beginner’s Guide to Programming Images, Animation, and Interaction, by Daniel Shiffman, Morgan Kauffman, Second Edition, 2015. (Available in print, digital, and rentable formats. Be sure to get the newest edition.)
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External storage device, for storing and backing up your work.
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A sketchbook.
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Headphones, for open studio time-- nothing fancy needed.
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Weekly readings and technical exercises, for developing programming foundation and building conceptual framework.
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Weekly creative short study assignments, demonstrating programming proficiency and creative concept development.
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Two short art reviews of code-based, interactive artworks in NYC
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Midterm project – a largely self-directed work exploring the topics covered in the first half of the semester, using Processing.
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Final project – creation of a complete digital artwork realized through Processing, supported by independent research and iterative project development.
Assignment details will be announced and posted on our class website in conjunction with each class.
Students are expected to attend all classes, except in cases of emergency, grave illness, religious commitment, or pre-planned academic event / exhibition / conference. In the case of a planned absence, notify your instructor.
Institute policy states that no more than 3 absences are allowed before the student fails the course. For illnesses, provide documentation whenever possible.
For any absence, it is the student’s responsibility to inquire with classmates for notes, make up any exercises completed in class, and to complete impending assignments.
Your participation in the class is vital, not just for your grade, but for the health of the class. Participation includes completing your work on time, offering thoughtful feedback in critiques, bringing relevant ideas and questions to class discussions, and making positive contributions to the classroom community.
This course adheres to all academic integrity, plagiarism, computer and network use policies, listed in the bulletin.
This course adheres to all Pratt policies on students with disabilities as listed in the bulletin. Students who require special accommodations for disabilities must obtain clearance from the Office of Disability Services at the beginning of the semester. They should contact Mai McDonald Graves, Director of Disability Resource Center, 718-802-3123.
- Attendance and Participation: 20%
- Weekly Assignments: 25%
- Midterm: 25%
- Final: 30%
The topics and schedule are subject to change as needed. Assignment details and parameters are announced in class and posted to our GitHub Wiki each week.
WEEK 1: 8/24
TOPIC
- What is Code-based Art?
- What is Interactive Art?
(Analogue vs Digital; Reactive vs Interactive; What can we do differently with code?) - Introductions
WEEK 2: 8/31
TOPIC
- Beginning with Algorithms: Instructions-Based Art
TECHNIQUE
- Introduction to Processing IDE, structure, syntax
- Drawing: coordinates, points, lines, primitives, colors
WEEK 3: 9/7
TOPIC
- Interactive Images and Drawing Machines
- Why use GitHub?
TECHNIQUE
- Flow: setup and draw, basic functions
- Variables and data types, arithmetic and for loops
- Basic input: mouseX, mouseY, pmouseX, pmouseY
- Introduction to GitHub
WEEK 4: 9/14
TOPIC
- Creating Uncertainty
- Interactive Structures and Nonlinear Narrative Models
(What can we take from experiments in interactive fiction, film, the web, and games? Looking at: hyperlink, phrasal templates, branching structures and CYOA, more)
TECHNIQUE
- Inputs continued: mouse and key press, events
- If statements and conditionals, random function
WEEK 5: 9/21
TOPIC
- Loops and Iteration
- Media in Motion
TECHNIQUE
- Loading images and fonts
- Working with motion: speed, direction, translation
- State changes
WEEK 6: 9/28
TOPIC
- Modularity
TECHNIQUE
- Creating functions
WEEK 7: 10/5 (MIDTERM PROJECTS DUE)
Midterm presentations / critiques
WEEK 8: 10/12
TOPIC
- Object Oriented Programming
TECHNIQUE
- Intro to OOP
WEEK 9: 10/19
TOPIC
- Arrays
- Building Interactive Projects
(What are some best practices and strategies for organizing?
What can we learn from cross-disciplinary approaches in traditional art media, iterative design, engineering, science, music composition, etc?)
TECHNIQUE
- Working with arrays, object arrays
- Organizing, versioning, debugging
WEEK 10: 10/26
TOPIC
- Art that sees.
- Art that displays.
TECHNIQUE
- Working with cameras and video.
WEEK 11: 11/2
TOPIC
- Art that listens.
- Art that talks.
TECHNIQUE
- Working with sound and mics.
WEEK 12: 11/9
TOPIC
- Art that is smart.
TECHNIQUE
- Working with text and data.
WEEK 13: 11/6
TOPIC
- Art that is smarter.
(Working with data, continued. Plus: touching on networks, emergence, AI)
TECHNIQUE
- Working with data
##THANKSGIVING BREAK
WEEK 14: 11/30
TOPIC
- Experiential Interactives in Art, Design, and Entertainment
(What’s happening out there? Code-driven experiences and hyper-gamification)
TECHNIQUE
- TBD, by request
WEEK 15: 12/7 (FINAL PROJECTS DUE)
TOPIC
- Returning to the past, present, future: what is Interactive Art?
Final Project Presentations and Critiques