Digital Foundations I

Course Description

Summary

Where might automation fit into an art practice? How might we choose to orient ourselves and our work to technology that is (usually) developed with mass production in mind? How do we reconcile the desire for novelty, experimentation, and accidents as we depend on machines and softwares that require our participation in pre-determined, often rigid, ways?

This course is an introduction to basic digital tools that are useful for studio artists and designers. Over the course of the term, we will cover several design-related topics including scale, iteration, layout, grids, layer management and organization. Students will learn to use Adobe Photoshop and Rhinoceros 3D, including basic file preparation for large format plotting. As we do all this, we will constantly attempt to keep play, contingency, chance encounters, and personal taste (the things that make design interesting) alive in the process. 

Students who wish to take Digital Foundations II (offered in the Spring) are encouraged to take this course.