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CER 425G-01 / GRAD 425G-01
INTRODUCTION TO CERAMICS FOR GRADUATE DESIGN MAJORS
SECTION DESCRIPTION
As Graduate Design students we will consider how ceramics processes could inform your design work. Through demonstrations, discussions, projects, critiques, and much hands-on work, you should arrive at a fundamental understanding of ceramic hand building as a means to make art. You'll begin to understand what clay can and cannot do in its various stages. Unlike wood or metal - ceramics does not have an inherent structure - it must be built into the form and be made to withhold the stress of shrinkage and crack-age during the drying and firing stages. Hand building is the first step to understanding ceramics and the tools, materials and equipment in ceramic production used by designers. Along with hand building students will be introduced to mold-making, digital ceramics, simple clay and glaze chemistry and the various firing processes.
Enrollment is limited to Architecture + Design Graduate Students.
Elective
CER W152-101
POTTERY
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Students explore the pottery making processes of throwing, jiggering, extruding, casting, and pressing. They test and experiment creating the ceramic surfaces from a variety of high temperature glaze and firing techniques. They establish and challenge the creative and expressive potentials of utility.
Elective
CER W40G-101
WRITTEN THESIS 2ND YR. GRADS
SECTION DESCRIPTION
The purpose of this course is to prepare a written thesis. You will be required to develop an outline, bibliography, and first and second drafts. Completion and presentation will be during the following spring semester. Schedule individually arranged with instructor.
Enrollment is limited to second-year Graduate Ceramics Students.
CTC 1000-01
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTATION
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Introduction to Computation focuses on computational techniques, methods, and ideas in the context of art and design. Studio projects first center on the design of algorithms then shift to involve computer programming and scripting. Critical attention is given to code as a body of crafted text with significant aesthetic, philosophical, and social dimensions, as well as the tension, conflict, and potential possible when computation generates, informs, or interacts with drawings, materials, forms, and spaces. Historical and contemporary works of computational art and design will be presented and assigned for analysis. This course is open to students of all majors and is designed for those with little or no experience in programming. In order to conduct work in this course, students will need a laptop computer. Estimated Cost of Materials: $250.00
This course fulfills one of two core studio requirements for the CTC Concentration.
Requirement | CTC Concentration
Elective
CTC 1000-01
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTATION
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Introduction to Computation focuses on computational techniques, methods, and ideas in the context of art and design. Studio projects first center on the design of algorithms then shift to involve computer programming and scripting. Critical attention is given to code as a body of crafted text with significant aesthetic, philosophical, and social dimensions, as well as the tension, conflict, and potential possible when computation generates, informs, or interacts with drawings, materials, forms, and spaces. Historical and contemporary works of computational art and design will be presented and assigned for analysis. This course is open to students of all majors and is designed for those with little or no experience in programming. In order to conduct work in this course, students will need a laptop computer. Estimated Cost of Materials: $250.00
This course fulfills one of two core studio requirements for the CTC Concentration.
Requirement | CTC Concentration
Elective
CTC 1000-101
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTATION
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Introduction to Computation focuses on computational techniques, methods, and ideas in the context of art and design. Studio projects first center on the design of algorithms then shift to involve computer programming and scripting. Critical attention is given to code as a body of crafted text with significant aesthetic, philosophical, and social dimensions, as well as the tension, conflict, and potential possible when computation generates, informs, or interacts with drawings, materials, forms, and spaces. Historical and contemporary works of computational art and design will be presented and assigned for analysis. This course is open to students of all majors and is designed for those with little or no experience in programming. In order to conduct work in this course, students will need a laptop computer. Estimated Cost of Materials: $250.00
This course fulfills one of two core studio requirements for the CTC Concentration.
Requirement | CTC Concentration
Elective
CTC 1000-102
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTATION
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Introduction to Computation focuses on computational techniques, methods, and ideas in the context of art and design. Studio projects first center on the design of algorithms then shift to involve computer programming and scripting. Critical attention is given to code as a body of crafted text with significant aesthetic, philosophical, and social dimensions, as well as the tension, conflict, and potential possible when computation generates, informs, or interacts with drawings, materials, forms, and spaces. Historical and contemporary works of computational art and design will be presented and assigned for analysis. This course is open to students of all majors and is designed for those with little or no experience in programming. In order to conduct work in this course, students will need a laptop computer. Estimated Cost of Materials: $250.00
This course fulfills one of two core studio requirements for the CTC Concentration.
Requirement | CTC Concentration
Elective
CTC 1000-103
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTATION
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Introduction to Computation focuses on computational techniques, methods, and ideas in the context of art and design. Studio projects first center on the design of algorithms then shift to involve computer programming and scripting. Critical attention is given to code as a body of crafted text with significant aesthetic, philosophical, and social dimensions, as well as the tension, conflict, and potential possible when computation generates, informs, or interacts with drawings, materials, forms, and spaces. Historical and contemporary works of computational art and design will be presented and assigned for analysis. This course is open to students of all majors and is designed for those with little or no experience in programming. In order to conduct work in this course, students will need a laptop computer. Estimated Cost of Materials: $250.00
This course fulfills one of two core studio requirements for the CTC Concentration.
Requirement | CTC Concentration
Elective
CTC 1000-104
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTATION
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Introduction to Computation focuses on computational techniques, methods, and ideas in the context of art and design. Studio projects first center on the design of algorithms then shift to involve computer programming and scripting. Critical attention is given to code as a body of crafted text with significant aesthetic, philosophical, and social dimensions, as well as the tension, conflict, and potential possible when computation generates, informs, or interacts with drawings, materials, forms, and spaces. Historical and contemporary works of computational art and design will be presented and assigned for analysis. This course is open to students of all majors and is designed for those with little or no experience in programming. In order to conduct work in this course, students will need a laptop computer. Estimated Cost of Materials: $250.00
This course fulfills one of two core studio requirements for the CTC Concentration.
Requirement | CTC Concentration
Elective
CTC 2000-01 / DM 2000-01
AMBIENT INTERFACES: ACTIVATED OBJECTS
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This course is a practical and conceptual exploration into electronic sensors, processors and actuators in the context of interactive art and design. Students will turn everyday objects into ambient interfaces or "responsive systems" that respond to the conditions of the human body, data networks, and the environment. Contemporary works of art and design - from kinetic sculpture and sound art to installation, architecture and product design - will be examined through readings and presentations. Open source hardware (Arduino) and software (Processing) will be taught along with the fundamentals of electronic circuitry. Emphasis is given to the development of creative projects (individual or collaborative), followed by an iterative implementation process (planning, prototyping, testing, analyzing, and refining). The course is structured around a series of tutorials and exercises, culminating in a final project. Students also present work-in-progress and prototypes during class reviews to receive qualitative feedback from the class and the instructor. Participants will engage with physical computing conceptually and technically in their studio work and are encouraged to leverage their individual backgrounds to excel in the respective context. Prior experience with electronics and programming is recommended but not required.
Estimated Cost of Materials: $200.00
Open to Sophomore, Junior, Senior or Graduate Students.
Elective
CTC 2000-101 / DM 2000-101
AMBIENT INTERFACES: ACTIVATED OBJECTS
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This course is a practical and conceptual exploration into electronic sensors, processors and actuators in the context of interactive art and design. Students will turn everyday objects into ambient interfaces or "responsive systems" that respond to the conditions of the human body, data networks, and the environment. Contemporary works of art and design - from kinetic sculpture and sound art to installation, architecture and product design - will be examined through readings and presentations. Open source hardware (Arduino) and software (Processing) will be taught along with the fundamentals of electronic circuitry. Emphasis is given to the development of creative projects (individual or collaborative), followed by an iterative implementation process (planning, prototyping, testing, analyzing, and refining). The course is structured around a series of tutorials and exercises, culminating in a final project. Students also present work-in-progress and prototypes during class reviews to receive qualitative feedback from the class and the instructor. Participants will engage with physical computing conceptually and technically in their studio work and are encouraged to leverage their individual backgrounds to excel in the respective context. Prior experience with electronics and programming is recommended but not required.
Estimated Cost of Materials: $200.00
Elective
CTC 2009-01
CODE AS MEDIUM
SECTION DESCRIPTION
In this advanced level art and design course, students will explore the creative potential of code as an artistic medium in its own right. Through a series of projects and exercises, students will develop their coding practice in a way that complements their ongoing studio practice and gain a deeper understanding of the unique opportunities and challenges of working with code as an artistic medium.
Building on the foundational skills and concepts learned in CTC-1000 Introduction to Coding or an equivalent coding course, students will dive deeper into coding as an artistic medium, exploring advanced techniques for generative art, interactive installations, and other forms of digital media. They will be introduced to a range of tools and frameworks for creative coding, such as Processing, p5.js, and openFrameworks. Students will also examine the historical and cultural context of code as a medium, including the role of technology in shaping contemporary art and design practices. Through readings and discussions, they will explore the implications of code as a means of expression.
Open to Undergraduate Students.
Elective
CTC 2011-01
PROGRAMMING IMAGES
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Every art practice is a series of decisions. What happens when those decisions are executed as a script of code? How does an artist's sense of value shift when a hundred images are as easy to produce as one image? As pressure grows on creatives of all fields to "generate content" we can look to contemporary procedural generation models in video games as well as the history of generative systems in art and design to challenge the limits of quick and unique production models.
Estimated Cost of Materials: $100.00
Open to Undergraduate Students.
Elective
CTC 2012-01
GENERATIVE SYSTEMS
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Generative Systems is an interdisciplinary course designed for students from all majors and varying levels of technical ability, inviting them to develop analog and digital generative systems for their own art and design projects. Students will follow online tutorials as part of their assignments, while the instructor will provide guidance and problem-solving support to ensure students' success. The course is an opportunity for students to explore tools based on their interests, such as Unity, Unreal Engine, Rhino/Grasshopper, SideFX Houdini, Blender geometry nodes, html/css/javascript and p5.js, model training and advanced generative A.I., and Photoshop scripting. Topics encompass randomization & noise, recursion, cellular automata, particle systems, agents, GANs, Diffusion models, LLMs, and more. Featuring guest critics from Generative A.I. research labs, the course enriches students' understanding of the field while delving into a global history of generative art and design, from ancient North African fractal architecture to modernist movements like Neoconcretismo and Nove Tendencije, ultimately showcasing contemporary artists, designers, and tool builders.
Estimated Materials Cost: $100.00
Elective
CTC 2012-01
GENERATIVE SYSTEMS
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Generative Systems is an interdisciplinary course designed for students from all majors and varying levels of technical ability, inviting them to develop analog and digital generative systems for their own art and design projects. Students will follow online tutorials as part of their assignments, while the instructor will provide guidance and problem-solving support to ensure students' success. The course is an opportunity for students to explore tools based on their interests, such as Unity, Unreal Engine, Rhino/Grasshopper, SideFX Houdini, Blender geometry nodes, html/css/javascript and p5.js, model training and advanced generative A.I., and Photoshop scripting. Topics encompass randomization & noise, recursion, cellular automata, particle systems, agents, GANs, Diffusion models, LLMs, and more. Featuring guest critics from Generative A.I. research labs, the course enriches students' understanding of the field while delving into a global history of generative art and design, from ancient North African fractal architecture to modernist movements like Neoconcretismo and Nove Tendencije, ultimately showcasing contemporary artists, designers, and tool builders.
Estimated Materials Cost: $100.00
Open to Undergraduates.
Elective
CTC 2014-01
SCREEN-BASED IMAGES
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This studio elective focuses on creating digital image-based artworks. Students will be introduced to a wide variety of contemporary artists working between digital imaging, photography, and digital painting —and a range of technical possibilities for making and producing “painterly” digital artworks. Through several short assignments and one final project, students will experiment and then hone in on image-making processes that suit and expand their practices. These projects are complemented by readings and discussions which provide context for contemporary digital art-making: an exciting and ever-changing space for creative work.
Estimated Cost of Materials: $100.00
Elective
CTC 2014-01
SCREEN-BASED IMAGES
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This studio elective focuses on creating digital image-based artworks. Students will be introduced to a wide variety of contemporary artists working between digital imaging, photography, and digital painting —and a range of technical possibilities for making and producing “painterly” digital artworks. Through several short assignments and one final project, students will experiment and then hone in on image-making processes that suit and expand their practices. These projects are complemented by readings and discussions which provide context for contemporary digital art-making: an exciting and ever-changing space for creative work.
Estimated Cost of Materials: $100.00
Open to Sophomore, Junior or Senior Undergraduate Students.
Elective
CTC 2016-01
GAME STUDIES
SECTION DESCRIPTION
Game Studies is a course that combines the cultural studies of games with the act of making them. In this course, students will learn to make game-like media using Unity and C#. We will focus on the development of small-scale “studies” that work to rethink games as a genre and how they fit in the discourse of art. Our technical explorations will foreground an experimental approach to game development, considering how short algorithms can develop new ludic languages and forms of play. By approaching game-making as an art practice, we will challenge the role of interaction in gameplay, the relationship between player and spectator, and the terms of representation in game spaces. The making-based portion of this course will be supplemented by in-class readings and screenings that analyze the aesthetic, cultural, and critical aspects of games. No prior programming experience is necessary.
ELECTIVE
CTC 2017-01
AI WILL EAT ITSELF
SECTION DESCRIPTION
This studio course does not ask, “Is this Art?” instead, it queries, “Is this Real?” AI Will Eat Itself will take you on a journey into the AI utopian versus AI doomer cyberwarfare bedlam, exploring the stakes, fears, and hopes of all sides.
We’ll explore AI-powered work from blue chip artists like Jon Rafman, Sondra Perry, and Trevor Paglen to low-brow (for lack of a better term) content creators like Demonflyingfox and Pinkydoll.
Through weekly assignments, students will delve into the capabilities of large language models and platforms like Midjourney, DALL·E and ChatGPT. They will develop their prompt writing skills all while becoming proficient in the workflow of these tools.
ELECTIVE
CTC 2053-01
EXPERIMENTS IN EXTENDED REALITIES
SECTION DESCRIPTION
As our interfaces expand beyond their familiar boundaries, what new conceptual and expressive opportunities will emerge for communication? Visions for “extended realities” (and the shared futures they accompany) are too often defined and constrained by big tech. This hands-on studio course imagines alternatives by exploring, critiquing, deconstructing, and building within a range of augmented and virtual reality tools and platforms. Looking far beyond traditional XR lineages — which skew heavily institutional, Western, white, and male — we will actively work to broaden and upend existing narratives about XR’s uses, audiences, and possibilities.
Over the course of workshops, discussions, and larger projects, we will draw on diverse sources — including sci-fi, avant garde art and design histories, and critical texts — to develop strategies for combining interaction, motion, and worldbuilding in emerging media contexts. The course will cover topics including:
- AR, public space, surveillance, and collective ownership
- VR, immersion, and intimacy
- Interaction, performance, and platform politics
- The roles of speculative fiction, pop culture, and cultural imaginaries in technological development
- Workshops will focus on low- or no-code tools, but resources and alternatives will be made available for students with existing coding practices.
Estimated Cost of Materials: $100.00
Elective