Art - Spring 1998

Cowell is fortunate to possess a letter press (in the Provost's House Garage Annex)and to have an expert on book arts among its faculty. In this course, students are introduced to the printer'scraft and the history of book making. Learn typesetting and how to use a manual press as well as aspects of design. No experience necessary! MW 1&endash;4 PM Cowell Press. Taught by George Kane.

This lecture course will involve students in a cross-disciplinary examination of the complex ways new technologies are affecting and are affected by contemporary culture. It is essential that students understand the potential of developing technologies and begin to critically define and influence their development. The course will explore shared and overlapping concerns within the arts, sciences, and humanities.

In order to keep pace with the speed of current research, speakers who are influential in the theoretical and practical development of new technologies will present lectures and field questions.

The range of topics will include the following:

• Saturation and Simulation - Visual Culture after Modernism
• The De Centered Subject: Intelligence, Life, and Identity
• Hypertext: Networking, the Internet, and Changing definitions of authorship
• Prosthetics, Technology, and the Body
• Telepresence,Virtual Space and Immersive Environments
• Virtual Communities and Interactive-Culture
• Complexity and Chaos in Contemporary Art, Literature and Science

The speakers will include Artists, Curators, Critical Theorists, Research Scientists and Technology Developers from the UC system, the Bay Area, and beyond.

Lectures will be linked to a weekly readings, interaction with and response to internet resources, and written assignments which will reinforce the cross disciplinary dialogue. All assignments will be accessed and submitted on-line. Students will learn the basic network communication skills necessary to complete assignments and will be required to attend several section meetings in a campus computer lab. Both art majors and other majors will increase their understanding of the dramatic shifts that new technologies are creating visually, socially, and politically across cultural and disciplinary boundaries.

Earth & Marine Sciences Room 206

MW - 5:00-6:45 p.m. Students will be required to register for one of 4 scheduled lab sessions listed in spring course schedule

Revised 7/13/04.