CPS structure

CPS is creative problem solving - Art 153. In this studio we will focus on understanding and making meaning in images and objects in a contemporary context. This will require investigating the contemporary practice of art and design, study in how images and objects work, and the development of basic studio processes and experimentation. The contemporary focus of the course requires that we learn and use digital media forms in combination with traditional media.

The primary studio source is the online collaborative web site, or wiki at http://look.gvsu.edu:8000/w8cps. Studio participants are expected to use and check the wiki regularly (at least every other day) for announcements and new information. Clicking on the "changes" button will take you to a page that lists recent activity on the whole site. Critical announcements will be posted on the CPS studioblog on the home page of the wiki.

The focus of the studio is on preparing participants for future practice as a visual artist as well as gaining awareness and engagement as a citizen. We want to aspire to the best in professional practice, but work in the full context of the larger world of culture, commerce, politics, and civic dialogue. So we will engage the range of visual culture that includes fine art, design, and our daily visual experience.

There are several required events outside the studio: We'll take a Chicago trip on Tuesday, February 26th as part of the studio. The cost for this will be charged to your student account (students not in cps will pay the fee separately). There will be various visiting artists lectures throughout the semester. A studio plan/schedule is available on the wiki.

Subjects we will engage:

•complexities of representation
•desire/consumption
•environments
•multiple meanings
•context of presentation
•wonder collections
•visual perception

Studio guides:

•art intends interaction
•form and content are not separable
•"seeing is forgetting the name of the thing one sees" -Lawrence weschler
•every detail is a locus for meaning
•meaning is conveyed in multiple ways by multiple parts of the image/object

Attendance

The nature of studio working and learning is experiential and active, so being here and being here on time is essential and expected. The department mandates that any absence exceeding 5 results in an automatic failure. Our work starts at the listed beginning time. Each absence is reflected in one less point in the “Attendance” category in the grading criteria outlined below. Arriving after that or leaving early results in 1/2 less point. If you arrive late it becomes your responsibility to find an appropriate time during that studio day to remind the professor to change the attendance record.

Grading

Grades are the result of a combination of points that are earned in two ways. One through your scores on projects. The other is in a studio performance assessment. You will get a performance report at midterm and then again at the end of the studio. Your studio performance points are added to your project points to reach a total for the studio. Project points usually fall in the range of 60-90 points over the semester bringing the total points to 140-170. Your final grade is based on this score. Success in the studio requires attention to both projects and studio performance.

Grading Criteria

You will be evaluated on these criteria for the class at midterm and at the end of the semester. Numbers are used as a scale for quantifying learning and achievement.

chart of grading criteria (numbers at the right represent possible points for each criteria)		midterm	course end
A	Individual Responsibility for Learning	25	50
	# Attendance- Be here on time ready to work. # Work in Class - Engage the work at hand / Be ready with materials and discipline for class work/ Maintain appropriate Studio Organization # Work Outside of Class - work hard out of class to learn and practice what we are studying in class/ do out of class work. # Contribution - Input and impact on group dynamic, practice, and learning. # Willingness/Readiness to progress - Be ready with materials and discipline for class work / Go with the direction of the class / Follow the detail of projects and exercises/ Move on from old comfortable ways of doing things.	5 each	10 each
B	Demonstration of understanding of course content.	15	30
	# Good creative process and practice # Management and application of ideas # Skill and understanding in use of computers	5 each	10 each
Totals		40	80
These scores will be combined with project scores (approximately 50-80 during the course) for total points for course grade.

Studio

In class studio - short and long term studies and exercises in varied media
Individual, Small Group, and Large Group work
Training and proficiency sessions in computing studio
Discussion and Critique - individual and group
Long term projects assigned during course
SKETCH BOOK regular conceptual development
Creative process research project

retain all work done during the course for review

Community of Practice

The structure and operation of the class will be conducted as a "Community of Practice". With the purpose of maximizing applicable learning these following practices are valued.

Information and knowledge is readily distributed and shared.
Substantive social interaction is valued because learning is fundamentally social.
Knowledge is integrated in the activity of the group.
Learning is an act of membership in a community of practice. "Knowing" and "learning" require engaging in practice.
Learning requires empowerment and responsibility.

"Our intelligence is not just based on how "smart" we are, but reflects the richness of the learning communities we have organized for ourselves." - J. Cleveland and P.Stark

Supplies, Material, Media

removable media -at least 256 mb (hard drive, ipod, usb drive)
10 burnable cds
one compact flash card -at least 32 mb
compact flash card reader
if you have a digital camera to use for the class (minimum 3megapixels) you do not need the compact flash card or reader
Various found, collected, and purchased project-specific materials and supplies. See CPS project materials
Various art supplies as needed that may overlap other course materials.
Plan for approximately an additional $70 for supplies you will need to purchase later. It is often difficult to hold back funds for projects late in the semester, but it can be very important to have some resources for the appropriate materials for projects.
You may also want to use a portfolio or packet to keep your things together in (the pink 11 x 17 kind is fine)

Technology

A significant part of the course is an introduction to digital media, or the use of computing technologies in the production of visual art.
Two major technical objectives are:

Resolution: using the appropriate pixels per inch for your output. This is controlled by paying attention to image size (how many pixels does your image have). This includes acquiring the optimum image size and handling the image so this size/quality is maintained. This is where scanner and digital camera settings come in. It also requires an understanding of resolutions appropriate for various outputs. 72 pix/inch for output to monitors (internet), 200 pix/inch for output to laser printing, 300 plus for professional printing.
Maintaining Project Files: keeping all primary and resource documents organized. This involves understanding when a digital project is a standalone document and when alternately it is using other files as resources. It also involves keeping and organized and appropriate structure to your digital files as you store and move them from media to media. Digital files that use external sources include; html or web files, desk-top publishing programs such as freehand, quark, and indesign, and image organizing/presenting programs like iview-multimedia.

Links to this Page

index last edited on 28 January 2008 at 8:08 am by 207.72.171.93
studioblog: 7 January 2008 last edited on 7 January 2008 at 10:26 am by 148.61.118.42