Instructor: Andres Burbano
Email: aburbano@umail.ucsb.edu
Lecture: T 1:00-2:50PM, ARTS 1340
Class Website: http://www.uweb.ucsb.edu/~aburbano/

Teacher Assistant: Desiree D'Alessandro
Email: d.a.dalessandro@gmail.com
Section 101 Schedule: T/R 3:00-4:50, (T) between ARTS 1342-Foundation Room & 479 1211-E-Studio / (R) PHELP 1518-Rincon Lab
Section 101 Website: http://www.uweb.ucsb.edu/~dalessandro/7dsb10/

CLASS CONTENT | The study of the foundations of digital and technological arts in all forms, including the history, theory and practice of optical, kinetic, interactive, interdisciplinary and systems-oriented art. Lectures and assignments introduce concepts, methods, movements and practitioners that have shaped the fields.

We cannot escape technology in our daily lives. Cultural practice is on some level informed or influenced, consciously or unconsciously, by the technologies we live with and within. This class intends to create a larger awareness of the cross-pollination between culture and technology, by examining, encouraging and enabling creative and inquisitive investigations and uses of technology. We will look at “traditional” art practices that have influenced artists working specifically with such investigations, and we will examine how technologies have enabled new art forms, and ways of thinking about art. In addition we will look at how new technologies might have generated a common playground for arts and sciences and the new interdisciplinary forms of art and research that are emerging.

CLASS STRUCTURE | The class consists a weekly lecture and twice weekly studio sections. The quarter is divided into 5 periods with different themes (History, Software, Hardware, Network and Science) each occupying 1-week.

ASSIGNMENTS | You can expect to spend 12 hours per week doing out of class work including projects and readings. All assignment descriptions will be posted on the class website.

GRADING & ATTENDANCE | Grades are based on: Introductory project/reading (5%), Projects (60% total, 20% each), Reading assignments (20% total, 5% each), and Final exam (15%). Mitigated by attendance as defined: You may miss only 1 lecture and not more that 3 total of lectures and lab sections. If you miss more than that it will be reflected in your final grade. If you miss more than 6 lectures and lab sections combined (without a very serious and documented reason), or more than 2 lectures, you cannot pass the class.