Intro to Visual Practice / Fall 2010

The day we spent at the link was a very interesting experience and good change of pace. I particularly enjoyed hearing about Professor Lasch and Professor Seaman discuss and share their work. One of the best ways to learn about new techniques and find new artistic inspiration is to seeing the work of other artists.

The exercise we performed with the mirrors was enlightening, in the largest sense that it helped me to realize that a big component of art is the viewer. It is very easy, when working on a project for a long time, to neglect to think about the observer and user of the finished product.

In addition, I enjoyed seeing Professor Seaman’s film. I could see the computer science, physics, and math influences in his work. As my work often deals with concepts in Biology, this was interesting to see another highly interdisciplinary artist.

1.  I researched many definitions of probability, but the one that I found most accurately described the term was from wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn.  They define probability as : a measure of how likely it is that some event will occur.  In my own words, I would describe probability and chance as concepts that describe the likelihood of an event happening and that are calculated using a mathematical reasoning method.  In artwork, this term could be applied in projects that depend on chance – such as my drawing machine project.  My design allowed a user to draw a card at random that then determined what they would have to draw.

2.  According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, printmaking is defined as the production of images normally on paper and exceptionally on fabric, parchment, plastic or other support by various processes of multiplication; more narrowly, the making and printing of graphic works by hand or under the supervision of the artist.”- http://www.worldprintmakers.com/english/pmdef.htm.  When I think of printmaking, I think of the possibility of multiple originals.  There can be no pure original, just like a camera that uses a negative.  Copies are made from both the negative or the item used for the print, but each is considered an original work.  Printmaking has been around since the 15th century and began as a communicative method, but since has developed into a luxurious art form.

I tried to upload pictures – but I kept getting HTTP error!

Create an artwork that either is or uses a social structure as its content, aesthetic impetus, physical/virtual/conceptual form, or meaning. It can be any medium or combination of media. It can be individual or collaborative.

No matter what it is, it will have to be represented on the blog through artwork, documentation, texts, maps, or anything that makes sense. Spend at least 3 hours a week on this from now until the end of the semester (it is Due December 7th for final Critique). Your Book of Notice will also be due then.

Assignments & Readings due 11/9

Bring your first ideas for your 3rd IVP

Keywords:

Go to the keywords category, get the ‘keyword chart’ and create postings for the first two keywords listed on the chart next to your name. Do some research, read about that keyword in the library, online, etc and create your own entry with a short definition and how the term is applied. You can also add 1 or 2 visual examples. Post your entry under the ‘keyword’ category section and put the keyword you were assigned in the title.

Readings:

Bill Seaman, Fields of Meaning. (Also available in the “Readings” category.)

Materials & Supplies:

-Bring 1 or 2 cardboard boxes, or cardboard of any kind you can cut, with or without images on them

-Masking tape or scotch tape

-scissors

-digital camera (and lighting optional)

Reminder: We meet at Nasher Museum lobby at beginning of class (2:50pm) on 10/5 (next week).

Assignments for 10/05:

-  Find an artist or visual practitioner who you think creates drawing ‘machines’ or machines of any sort using our broad definition. Post any relevant links or information under ‘Book of notice’ category, and put artist or practitioner’s name in title

- Write 1 or 2 paragraphs that compare the project you did with any work by the artist or practitioner you chose. Post it on blog under IVP1 – Drawings Machines category

INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION #1 (IVP1): Invent a Drawing Machine and Make It Draw For You

You decide how you define machine. The definition itself is part of your work. It can be a physical contraption, a program or logic behind a program, a system, rules for a game or any process, a concepual machine, a representation of a fictional machines. The final assignment will have two parts:

1. A short paragraph stating what your machine is and how it works
2. Three products of what your machine produces

Bring any questions, notes, ideas, experiments you may have related to this project to class on 9/22 so we can help you one on one, as you will have time during class to work on the project.

Assignment for 9/21:

- all posted readings due 9/22 (see ‘readings’ category on our blog)

- bring at least 100 physical color samples to use in class (Book of Notice). you can bring them in a folder, topper-ware, or any other container you can use for the rest of the semester

- bring paper, brushes, 1 plastic cup, and acrylic paints (3 primaries+black+white)

Light & Color Composition

- create any kind of composition (abstract, representational, 2-dimensional, 3-dimensional, anything) that uses color and light, take a picture of it, and place the digital file (use our naming formula: use light&color as title) inside your named folder in COMMONS. For a reminder on naming and folder instructions, see:

http://sites.duke.edu/artsvis54_01_f2010/2010/09/17/digital-files-and-folders/

Last but not least, on 9/22 we will be working on your IVP1 during class (it is due 9/27), so bring any materials you may need for that, as well as any questions you may have so you can talk to us in class about them while you work on the project.

Here is the full description of what we expect for the Drawing Machine (due 9/27):

http://sites.duke.edu/artsvis54_01_f2010/2010/09/17/assignments-due-927/