AVA-160
Project 1 - Digiscape
"There has been a long tradition of landscape painting in American Art. After the confusion of early colonization, American artists began to depict the incredible landscape around them through oil paintings. This generation and the generation to come will also be faced with the subject of landscape, however, it will take on different forms. This new landscape or 'digiscape' exists solely inside the digital world, comprised of million upon millions of bits of data. Like real landscape, within this metaphysical digiscape, everything is in a constant state of flux, with each person perceiving it from a different point of view. However, the digiscape abides by a different set of rules, not constrained by the properties of the physical world. In this way, the digiscape is analogous to the dream world, constrained only by the limits of human imagination.
The question is, what does your digiscape look like? In this assignment use images that you find online, along with at least two images of your own, to create three virtual renderings of what the digiscape might look like. Experiment and alter the relationships between elements by changing their size, scale, orientation, repetition and transparency. Think of this as an opportunity to realize a personal and original vision of an electronic space, rather than a re-creation of something you have seen before.
Project 2 - Through the Looking Glass
"Throughout our lives, we tell ourselves an internal narrative that twists and turns as everyday goes by. The character we play in that narrative and everything that takes place culminates in the self portrait or story of who we are. If someone read our narrative to us would we recognize it?
Taking on countless forms, from sculpture to selfies, identity has been a recurring topic in Visual Art for centuries. The inspiration for the pursuit have varied wildly, including the desire to leave our mark on a cave wall, studying our place in society/culture, exploring our own gender or the need to learn more about the vastness of our consciousness. Regardless of the reasons, artists have consistently returned to the self as a familiar beacon in the endless oceans of visual culture. It is true that there is much to be learned when we point the camera at ourselves.
For this assignment, please create five to ten digital artworks that are about you. That represent a snapshot of your narrative or identity. Think about who you are, who you were, who you may be in the future. You can approach the imagery from a figurative, literal, abstract, surreal or whichever perspective you feel best portrays you."
Project 3 - The Propaganda Machine
"Digital artists are faced with the challenge of having the skills to succeed in the commercial sector and also maintain their individual voice. In a way, the contemporary digital artist is not much different than the European artisan of the 15th century, creating propaganda content not for the worship of a spiritual deity, but an endless maze of media conglomerates, all trying to sell the latest products. Due to this commercial seduction, there are fewer and fewer young digital artists that are creating socially/politically conscious content or artwork that speaks to their soul. This trend should be of concern to all of us, since historically artists have always been a crucial voice in times of social upheaval.
Using historical propaganda and contemporary imagery for inspiration and as a departing point, you will be required to create a series of propaganda/protest artworks that communicate a current event, social issue, or political ideology that you care deeply about."
