just to share

Related to the conceptual ideas of mapping, I had a project in both 214 and 314 which related to journeying and exploring spaces. My 214 Journey Project didn't include any 3d or too many mapping elements, but explored an imaginary space (underwater) parallel to a real space (inside my suite in LQ). Apartment Complex is the 314 project, which explored the idea of rooms in an apartment, and the conceptual spaces of stereotypes.

Hope this give you guys some ideas! (or at least that the pieces are entertaining)

class notes 4/19

Tables in Dreamweaver:

this will help you organize your site in a gridded manner.

Insert->Table

tables are just like in word--choose the amount of rows and columns, how wide it is, if you want any spacing between the cells

Hover text on images:

in the html of the image after the width and height properties, add: title="your alt text here"

Something I just did was edit the link color in a css file so that it would still be visible in front of a dark colored background. You can choose many dynamic linking options, which are explained here.

On THURSDAY we are presenting our ideas for project three! so make sure you have some sketches/images in order.

Remember there are the SMP PRESENTATIONS tomorrow from 6-8pm in the Boyden Gallery! These will be really great and are also one of the final ART EVENTS

class notes 4/14

Sketchup

Here is a link for some sketchup tutorials (and another). You can download both Google Earth and Sketchup for free to work on at home with!

window->instructor is very important!

ctrl+z or undo works here to undo any actions!

the orbit tool is very important, it lets you alter your angle and viewpoint to do certain activities

with paint bucket tool you can add different colors or textures to the object

window->components allows you to add readymade objects--you can also find ones from the internet that other sketchup users have made, and put them in or modify them

to scale an object down or up, select the object with the black arrow, then hit S or use the scale tool!

Downloading ground from google earth and uploading your component to google earth can be done with the google earth logo and a yellow down/orange up arrow:

if you ever get lost or lose sight of your components, click on the "zoon extants" button:

MONDAY the FIRST SMP SHOW opens! this show has Kathleen Overman, Allie Snyder, and Allison Yancone's works. These ladies have been working for a year, and have created some wonderful work. You guys should also come because it's a good insight into what you might create when you are a senior, or the scope the SMP can be. The opening is Monday from 5-6, and their presentations are Wednesday 6-8pm.

Final Project is Due May 6th at 2pm! 4 more classes till then.

class notes 4/12

We watched: The Wilderness Downtown by the Arcade Fire

Google Earth:

the clock will allow you to view historical satellite data--really fascinating!

drag the small human figure to the map to get a ground view/street view of the area

"r" key orients you straight up and down

Screenshot with cmd+shift+4; then click and drag so you enclose the area of the screen that you want to make an image. (if you ever want to capture your entire desktop, that is cmd+shift+3, fun fact!)

Dreamweaver:

Adobe's info on div tags

Hotspots are spots on the image which are specific links, where you can click on just an element of the image. (here's a visual tutorial for it)

click on the image

choose a oval, rectangular, or polygonal hotspot

define where the hot spot links to!

So just so you all know, there aren't many art events left!! Kai Barrow's lecture was yesterday, and she is a very engaging presenter! She will be working in the second floor of Anne Arundel for the rest of the semester and would love to talk to students.

There are three studio art SMP presentations Wednesday April 20th 6-8pm in Boyden Gallery, Art history presentation May 3rd, 10am-2pm, and a final studio art group of four students May 3rd from 2pm-4pm. There will also be two gallery openings on April 18th and May 2nd, but you should definitely go to the presentations, they will give you more information about the works.

class notes 4/7

CSS:

we looked at the CSS Zen Garden as an example. Then we made our own CSS stylesheet!
file-->new
choose CSS
save it in site root folder
styles.css

we have a sample css sheet on blackboard, but hopefully you all have your styles.css sheets to look at!

Rollovers:
Insert->image object->rollover image

Connecting via FTP in Dreamweaver:
So when we open Dreamweaver on a new computer, make sure you always go to Sites->manage Sites, then choose or create a new one. Your website url is http://students.smcm.edu/yourusername, and here is CTSS's page on how to set up the FTP access.

Homework:

get lost this weekend! however long that takes, get out of your normal patterns of movement, discover something and DOCUMENT IT. Photo/video/drawing

html and dreamweaver references

So web design can be a pain if you're new to it, so I've found some online references for you guys to look at. After creating in Dreamweaver for a bit, it becomes second nature, so practice will make perfect here!

If you view the code or split view of your pages, you see the html of the page. Sometimes you can troubleshoot things by understanding the html underlying the page so here is one page that gives you bare bone basics of html markup (also it's not too tough of a programming language to learn!). I have also found the W3 School has a great section on html.

Now, Dreamweaver as a program can do so much more than we could learn in html in this class, so here is Adobe's section on Dreamweaver resources. Sometimes Adobe's documentation can be a bit dry/not well explained for beginners, and BGSU has a pretty great bit of documentation (skip the "Activating Your Web Space" and "Getting Started" sections). As we learn different aspects of Dreamweaver (frames and tables, or embedding things) I'll find things to include in the class notes!

class notes 4/5

We will hopefully print on Thursday, so if you have any LAST MINUTE PAPER TYPE CHANGES be sure to let me know! Here is how I have it thus far:

Watercolor:

alex
dan
mike
sam
felicia
kat
jana
kristin

Luster:
caitlin
julia
shannon
michelle
india

TBD:
danielle
melody

I will be here early on Thursday for any website troubleshooting you folks need as well, in the meantime I'll try to wrassle up some fun dreamweaver tutes for you guys on the net. After a bit, you get used to the interface and it becomes second nature but learning some things can be a pain at first!

class notes 3/31

Remember to revise your projects and post the revised pieces to your blog by Thursday! Start drafting your webpage through sketches in photoshop or illustrator, as we are going to be working on our websites next class!

One of the advanced digital art students, Nemesis Zambrano, is starting a new media and design club, sponsored by Prof Friebele. She is trying to get it started as an official club before the end of the semester, and is looking for students interested to start up the club or be in the exec board. If you are interested, email her at nkzambrano@smcm.edu. Right now she's planning to do a meeting on a Thursday around 8pm (but not tonight!) to start organizing it. If you really enjoy this class you should come out and help!

satellite art

Satellite Art: One Woman Tries to Create Google Earth Murals

I find this article useful and relevant for all of us as we try to create work which is related to and shown on the interconnected web--our work is "satellite painting" even as we work differently in medium.

Also, there are always unknown elements in the work--Dilworth had no clue that she wouldn't get on Google Earth for such a long time, during which her murals faded and for her, were less effective as an artwork. It's always good to see that sometimes, our concept doesn't work out, it doesn't read the way we hoped it will, or something in the process diminishes the final product. Do you think that the work is still as effective as a concept, or do you think it "failed"?

class notes 3/24

Cropping and Resizing:

file->document setup allows you to alter the size and shape of your artboard (which controls what prints in your document!) make sure you are working in INCHES (42 x 24 inches max)

to RESIZE your artwork: unlock all your layers, then hit SELECT ALL (command+A) and hold SHIFT as you drag to resize the artwork

To block out undesired extra parts of your art and trim it, we are going to MASK it. grab a rectangle shape, and place it over the part of your art which you want. Then, select all, and go to Object->Clipping Mask->Make

To make a Tiff:

File->Export and save as a TIFF (print quality)

Or, if it is too large, import in Photoshop, and then save it as a TIFF

No Class on Tuesday (Advising Day!) so project 2 will be due in one week on THURSDAY MARCH 31. Post the project to your blog! (as a jpg for screen quality, not the TIFF)

Your SELF ASSESMENT is also due on Bb, or printed out

And you should have had two artist posts on your blog since the last critique!

I will be the the mac lab a lot this weekend, and hopefully on Tuesday as well. If you need any help or want me to come in to meet with you, give me an e-mail! I will be around all weekend.

class notes 3/22

Hey all!

There are a few art events this week! Tomorrow at 4:45 in Boyden Gallery, Mary Early will be introducing the All-Student Art Show! There will be free food and a chance to mill about and see all the awesome work students here have been creating.
Then at 8pm in Cole Cinema tomorrow, Gabriella Bulisova will be presenting on her photojournalistic work, which is currently showing in upper Monty.

Keep on working on your self-portraits, they are due in a week and a half!

(Also of note is the Thomas Rowe scholarship, which is due April 4th! Unfortunately they are not accepting digital work in the portfolios, but most traditional media are accepted)

Live Trace Button:
this is the "cheat button" when you select a photographic image, at the top is "live trace".
Live trace options allows you to choose the number of colors and simplify objects down. it's good to use and then edit for fancy backgrounds and such! Or if you want to pull an object out of a background, etc.

class notes 3/10

Remember the all-student art show submissions are due today and tomorrow! You can turn them into the gallery tomorrow from 11am-3pm! Enjoy your spring break and come back ready to make some digital work!!! After break we will have a combined class, advising day, then the critique for the project!

Also: submit your art to Avatar, the literary magazine! images can be in color, preferably 300 dpi!

email:

avatar at smcm.edu

kemcafee at smcm.edu

class notes 3/8

text is visual as well as your choice of font changes how it is read or understood

text can be placed in your image as a cohesive element in the image--the text can be part of written content, but also a visual element through size, shape, font, etc!

Notice how these different fonts convey different meaning--some fonts have a certain "brand", which is definitely something people consider when designing text for products.

(fun fact: comic sans got its name because it is used for comics traditionally! and some comic artists have stopped using comic sans because it's so mainstream and has a juvenile connotation)

Text in Illustrator:

Type Tool (T)

-you can also type on a path, or type within a shape in the submenus here

-Type menu allows you to preview fonts, create outlines (to edit individual points on a typeface

-when selecting a piece of text, type tool allows you to edit the text--direct selection tool allows you to treat text as an object

class notes 3/3

a couple notes from today:

eraser tool divides a shape into individual shapes/paths, not erasing pixels like photoshop

Effects:

3D-

-extrude and bevel is where we created 3D objects and in the "map symbol" option allows us to put symbols on the 3D shapes

-revolve-spins shape in space (360 degrees!)

-rotate-moves the object and allows us to see it in perspective

Warp- these objects are similar to photoshop warp effects

SVG Filters- filters and effects to apply to your shapes! very nice for things like hair, shadows, etc

Photoshop Effects live here as well

To create a symbol out of an object:

select your object, then go to your "symbols" tab, next to the trash can icon is an option to "create new symbol" (make sure you set it as a graphic!)

Rotate Tool (R)

Scale tool (S)-not only resizes but you can flip the object!

Warp Tool (Shift +R) is nice for organically moving the edges of the shape

HW: Just keep working on your projects!

Class notes 3/1

Make sure you're saving your files as Adobe Illustrator (*.ai)

To put the image on your blog, go to save for web and devices, or export it as a *.jpg

If you want some inspiration for vector art, here is the Deviantart vector section!

Here are some images from Waking Life, so many different styles!

Shepard Fairey's Obama:

What Shepard Fairy says about street art often can be applied to digital art, in my opinion! What do you think?

Finally, the Kuler website to play with color schemes!

HW: Work on tracing your portrait!!

You should all think about submitting artwork to the All-student show!! You can submit up to 5 pieces, and submission forms are in the gallery!

class notes 2/24

Artists/topics from the presentation today:

Kazimir Malevich

Rodchenko

Wassily Kandinsky

Cubism

Marcel Duchamp

Luigi Russolo

Sol Lewitt

(what do you think? is conceptual art not "real" art? One of my favorite conceptual artists is Yoko Ono, before the Beatles ruined her rep as an amazing artist!)

HW: Do a line drawing using only the pen tool! Start Tracing your portrait, and feel free to clean up your musical drawing. You can use layers to build up the face of your portrait. (save as *.ai)

Next Monday 2/28 is an artist talk with Mary Early at 4:45-5:45 in Library 321! She will be the guest juror for the student show, and knows a lot about the DC art scene, it would be great to go listen to her!

Also remember the LAST TFMS animation series screening is also on Monday 2/28 at 8:15pm in Cole Cinema. This one will be with Lewis Klahr, a "cut and paste" animator

Class Notes 2/22

Vectors:

-photoshop is a bit map image (a gridded image with pixels)

-Vector-based images define a fill between two points with a slope--this leads to smaller image sizes which you can enlarge infinitely

most logos are done in illustrator! It's a very clean, graphic program

Illustrator:

-The interface in Illustrator is very similar to photoshop, yay!

(Unfortunately: no history (but you can undo infinitely with command+z and delete))

-the area inside the box is your print area: you can always resize this, as you have an infinite canvas around it

-We create a path, with a stroke that is editable, and can be filled

-Illustrator, like photoshop, is all about layers, which you should name and/or color code!!

-Pen tool (P): define a beginning point with one click, then define your end point with another click--you can then stretch and alter the curve of your line

-with pen tool you can create closed forms, which can be filled or transformed/moved with select tool (just like photoshop)

-Add Anchor Point and Delete anchor point can add or delete points within your vector

-Convert Anchor Point allows you to change a corner point to a smooth point and vice versa; if you click on one handle, you can create a combination point

-Corner Point: one single click creates hard angles with corner points

-Smooth Point: click and drag to create curved lines

-Combination Point: one side is smooth, one is a corner point

-Selection Tool (V): allows you to select a path or use a click+drag to select the path

-Direct Selection(A): you can click and directly edit one point on a line/object

-Command+Y: shows your path, underneath any edits to color/stroke

-Spacebar: gives you a hand to drag around the image

-Object->Group: allows you to group and alter together separate paths

Here for your reference: a handy list of Illustrator keyboard shortcuts

HW: At least one blog post by the end of this week! Also, do the Paul Hertz reading on Bb. Take 5+ portrait photographs (self-portraits or portraits of other people) and upload to blog.

Remember next Monday at 8:15 in Cole is the last of the film series with Lewis Klahr!

class notes 2/17

Website Setup:

Main folder = root folder

In web design, you design locally (on your computer), and then you upload it to the (remote) server, where it can be viewed by everyone.

To connect to Server:

Site->Manage sites

New site

The HTTP Address (URL) of your site is http://students.smcm.edu/yourusername

No to server technology

You want to connect with FTP: your hostname is www.smcm.edu, you skip the folder space, and put your Email username and password and click on Use Secure FTP.

if you change your email password make sure that you change it in Dreamweaver!!

index.html is the first page your browser will direct to!

HW: Scan your signature, create a blog post!

Note that MONDAY FEBRUARY 21ST, our own professor Friebele is participating in a panel on "Public Art, Community, and Politics", at 4:45 in Cole Cinema.

Also on Monday at 8:15pm in Cole is the next part of the Animation series, with filmmaker Jim Duesing!

Class Notes 2/15

Remember that you need to complete your SELF ASSESSMENT and any remaining EDITS to Project 1 by Thursday!

Also, an Art/Museum Studies event this Wednesday: Art History Lecture: Dr. Elizabeth Chew, Meals Fit for a President: Jefferson's and Madison's Culinary Tastes, 4:15pm in St Mary's Hall

class notes 2/10

For all you guys who missed Ryan Browning's talk, it was really great and (surprisingly to me) relevant to digital art!! He working in traditional media but his sources and references are the awkwardly rendered early 3-d polygonal graphics of video games (such as Everquest). Definitely check out his website if you have a chance and missed his lecture, you might see something you connect to!

ALSO on Monday (8:15pm in Cole Cinema) is the first night of the TFMS Film series on Animation!! Karen Aqua will be presenting a series of her animations, which I know I'm excited about! If any of you are interested in film, animation, or time-based art, you should definitely check it out!!!

HW: Remember to finish your FIRST PROJECT, and e-mail Billy with any work in progress updates or images, as well as just talking about how your project is working out conceptually or visually. When you're FINISHED your image, FLATTEN it and save it as a JPG, which you should post to your blog or at least email to billy (and remember to keep a *.psd file so you can keep on editing the image!!)

Class Notes 2/8

Dodge, Burn, Sponge Tools:

toggle between the three by pressing Shift-O.

Dodge - Lightens pixels where you paint.

Burn - Darkens pixels where you paint.

Sponge - Saturates or desaturates the pixels where you paint.

dodge/burn can be set to highlights, midtowns, shadows--also can change the exposure of these tools (default is 50, 25 is gentler)

Clone Stamp:

clone stamp copies from one area of the canvas to paint onto another area--very good for seamless transitions when erasing an object from the image.

use the S key to pick clone stamp

hold down alt and click to select clone area

paint with the brush just like any other brush--photoshop will show you where the source of your brush is

work from small areas--you will probably have to reselect your source over the course of cloning over an image.

cloning before:

cloning after:

Some tutorials I found today that might help you guys too:

How to let an image fade through a gradient

How to create a custom pattern (which you apply to the image via the pattern stamp tool, in the same area as the clone stamp tool)

REMEMBER, These projects are due in one week!! We have all Thursday as a studio day, and the weekend to work on them!

Class Notes 2/3

Photo Retouching:

Backlit Mushroom:

Image->Adjustments->Color Balance

Image->Adjustments->Variations

if you go too far adding more of a color, hold the option key and the cancel button will turn into a reset button

after variations, go to Edit->Fade Variations to tone down a variation that too crazy

Image->Adjustments->Hue/Saturation…

Hue-moves color wheel around

saturation-how intense the color is

lightness-lighter/darker

can pick specific colors to edit the hue/saturation/lightness in (blue, red, yellow)

eyedropper with + symbol can select very specific colors (such as the dark green in the trees in the background)

as with variations, you can go to Edit->fade variations!

remember to check and uncheck the preview box so you can compare the before/after images!

Color Cast Chicken:

Image->Adjustments->Levels

can change the upper and middle registers of specific colors (red/green/blue)--if you pull down the upper arrow where there is little blue, it adds more blue in the image! very helpful to get rid of yellowing/strange color cast on the image

Image->Adjustments->Brightness/Contrast

brighten the image, or bring the contrast down (or up)

Image->Adjustments->Shadows/Highlights

click on "show more options" at bottom left to expand options here

Image->adjustments->curves

move around the entirety of your curves to adjust the colors (this one can be touchy! This is similar to levels, but a different visualization

Auto levels, Auto contrast, auto color can help you too, but sometimes the computer doesn't get it all right!

Some handy Photoshop websites/artists for inspiration:

Pxleyes

Worth 1000

Bert Monroy (Damen)

Shot By Robert (game glitches)

Kyohei Abe

Look at the comparison here:

Remember: Photoshop CANNOT fix an image that is out of focus!

HW: Start working on Project 1! (267-300 dpi, approx max 24 inches in any direction)

FIELD TRIP SATURDAY. Meet at loading dock at 9:15AM!

Map to branch Ave:

View Larger Map

NPG metro stop is Gallery Place-Chinatown, and the gallery is there once you walk out (if you take the 7th and F st exit) in case you're going separately. Bring some metro fare!

map to gallery:

View Larger Map

here is parking near the NPG for those driving

Kupferminc

Traveling to my messy smp studio!!

Class Notes 2/1

Project 1: Remix

a few notes about this:

-use your scans, classmate's scans, and legally appropriated images to construct some sense of reality

-create a sense of space through the image--a landscape, a room, etc

-does not need to be "realistic", but don't follow any photoshop cliches! (unless you have a reason to do that)

PLACES TO GET IMAGES:

-Wikimedia Commons- all of these images are free to use, if you look at the licensing info you will see specifics about the image

-Flickr-some images are protected by their owner--if it has a "creative commons" license you can use it Here's the section for CC images

-NASA website has a lot of sweet large resolution images; a lot of government websites do this: Directory of .gov images (careful, some of these are copyrighted!)

-you can search for "public domain images"--such as this website

grab large images--- in the thousands of pixels, dimensionally

Photoshop:

Brushes:

-make sure you select the pencil in photoshop, then choose the brush tool! art history brush is not the same as the brush

-you can change size, hardness of your brushes, opacity, and flow through the menu at the top of the page

-you will notice that differing levels of pressure on your tablet change the flow/thickness/opacity of your brush--just like a real paintbrush! the "eraser" on your tablet pen will also erase on the image

-Brush window (can of paintbrushes in the right menu) will give you some more control on your brush

-you can find additional photoshop brushes online, and append them to your in-program brushes (quick example of a collection of these) http://getbrushes.com/

Image->rotate canvas to rotate sideways images, etc

Pen Tool: define the edges of the line then alter the way the line angles

Shape tools: you can specifically fill it, choose specific shapes

HW: if you haven't finished your Kupferminc image, finish that bad boy and put it on your blog!

Artist post from Mark Tribe reading, Rhizome or eyebeam.org

Bring a digital copy of an ugly photo to class (colors off, flash, back lit, weird colors)

REMEMBER FIELD TRIP THIS SATURDAY!!

meet at loading dock at Monty at 9:15 Saturday morning

Class notes 1/27

Studio Day!!

Mirta Kupferminc-really awesome artist who visited last semester, she is doing a photo within a photo series that smcm continued (kind of like this)

This weekend: take a photo somewhere on campus or off campus holding a blank sheet of paper: we will photoshop Kupferminc's image into it

Photoshop

Image-> Image Size: One of the most important windows about your image!!

-Constrain Porportions: keeps an image proportionate if you resize an image (locks the height and width together when you change one of them)

-Resample Image: Photoshop fills the spaces between pixels or loses pixels when you change the ppi--if you want to cut pixels out of the image, resample it. Unchecking it locks the number of pixels in the image.

-Upsampling is bad (taking a small dpi image and making it larger, photoshop adds pixels where it thinks they should be); Downsampling is good! (taking a large image, and making it smaller, removes pixels)

**Make sure you check your image size, this determines if an image can be emailed, put on your flash drive, etc…

Some handy commands and keystrokes:

Select All: command+A

Copy: command+C

Paste: command+V

Cut: command+X

Deselect: command+D

Undo: command+Z

Step backwards (multiple undos): command+option+Z

Merge Layers: command+E

change brush size by [ and ]

select multiple layers by holding shift by clicking

Double click on the icon of the layer to check out the layer styles

Free Transform: command+T

to get out of the transformation, hit return

Selection tools:

rectangular marquee

lasso tools

magic wand and quick selection tools

you can use all the selection tools together!

"refine edges" will show you a preview of your selection

Hw:

-Take a photo somewhere with a blanks sheet of paper! Then put the Kupferminc picture on the paper

-QUIZ ON PIXEL DIMENSION! Make sure you read/study the Pixel Dimension document!!

-Collage your classmate's scans from blogs

-Start brainstorming for project 1 (remix)

Class Notes 1/25

By now: Jump drives for sure!

Animations

Window->Animation

you now have a time line!

under image set it to "forever", so the animation repeats

within timeline, you can edit the layers

add keyframes by clicking on timeline--they will be golden diamonds

Move the layer on the keyframe, and in between the two keyframes, the layer will move from the first point to the second

Save as->photoshop document (*.psd)

To export:

File->save for web &devices

Set as a GIF

Save as html and images

To make it larger or smaller:

Image->Image Size

*ALWAYS make sure to start with a larger resolution--you cannot add pixels to an image. So when you create a new document, pay attention to the pip!

On screen resolution: 72 pixels/inch (ppi)

Print Resolution: 300 ppi

dpi=ppi

scan through image capture (hit the green button on your scanner)

lossy=bad lossless=great!

jpeg=lossy

tiff=lossless, a good archival image

Homework: Scan 10 items-- each one as a 72 dpi jpeg, and again as a 300 dpi tiff (20 total images) and upload the 72dpi versions to your blog; finish up your pixel animation if you have anything to finish

Class Notes 1/20

- remember your voucher, jump drives, and sketchbooks!

-lynda.com tutorials--can use the photoshop essentials videos (try to watch it at off-peak hours!!)

-computer preferences are set through the apple->system preferences (if you use a new computer or different log in you will have to reset these!)

-Pixel: the basic point (in a grid) that is the basis of all computer images


-Photoshop
Tools:
-eyedropper tool will assort a color from the image
-pencil will draw hard edges, brush will draw softer edges, and you can change the diameter of the lines for these tools in the top menu

Interface:
-F key changes the size of the canvas, blocks out background images
-to zoom: command + or command - ; or the slider in the navigator on the top right
-history: you can go back on anything that you have done through the history window, by clicking backwards through each action you have done in photoshop
-layers: create a new layer for the icon in the bottom (next to the trash can); this will create a new transparent layer
you know which layer you are working on by which one is highlighted in blue in the layer viewer
you can rename your layers by double clicking on it--it's good to keep your layers organized by names
you can also make a layer "invisible" by clicking on the eyeball next to the name; this can also help you keep track of what images are on each layer


Saving in Photoshop: (File->Save As
-.psd saves the project with all its layers
-to save a web version: layer


We watched this documentary on pixel art:


Assignment for the Weekend: create an image that is 4 pixels per inch, 50 pixels wide, and 20 pixels tall. create 5 layers, and use one color on each layer. With your five colors, create a pixel landscape! keep the image saved as a *.psd and don't flatten it! As well as the Christiane Paul reading and First Artist Post on your blog!

Digital art and protest

Since we are (hopefully!) seeing the Hide/Seek show at the National Portrait Gallery, I thought I'd point this out...

The Smithsonian censored a Wojnarowicz video, titled A Fire in My Belly, after pressure from the new House leadership to remove the video from the show. This action by the institution has sparked a lot of outrage, but also some really awesome artistic acts in response, such as someone standing in the exhibit wearing an iPad playing the removed video.

A friend who works at the NPG told me these same protestors have set up in a trailer outside the gallery, called the Museum of Censored Art, where they are showing the video. They also created a website, that takes the layout of the NPG website, and subverts it to portray a world where the NPG is proudly exhibiting A Fire in My Belly. (as well as share info about the Museum of Censored Art) Here is the official NPG website, and Here is the Museum of Censored Art site (notice how they even use an url that unsuspecting people might type in to get to the official site!)

Things like this have been done before (usually by unscrupulous businesses trying to get your password or give you popups), and I find this a fascinating use of digital medium to protest and also subvert the political actions of a very popular gallery. This also, to me, shows the potential of digital art to operate totally autonomously from galleries. What do you think?

Class Notes 1/18

Welcome to Art214, Intro to digital media art!! I'm Tara Hutton, the TA. I'm working on an SMP that includes a combination of traditional media and new media, and I'm working on an interactive flash website. (You can also use the link at right to see projects I've made in my intro and advanced digital media classes) Feel free to email me at tnhutton@smcm.edu with any questions, and I can come in to help outside of class, as well!

From class today:

-Syllabus on Bb

-Possible field trip Feb 4th or 5th?

-Anthropological introduction to youtube-- here's the whole video for those of you interested:

-create your blog on blogger (you're already here!)

-create a new post (there's a link in upper right corner of the page)

-add a text, link, image, video!

-email Billy the url of your blog

-the class blog is http://smcmintrodigital.blogspot.com/

-Remember to buy your course voucher, sketchbook and jump drives!!

TA

I will be the TA for Intro to Digital Art for the spring of 2011 with Professor Friebele. Entries previous to this are from when I took this class two years ago with Pat Kelley.