Recursive Art (Topics in Media Art) +

This course description is a concise summary and embodiment of the content, objectives, and structure of an educational course. The creation of this course description was initiated from the need to compile the information for the instructors, students, and administration staff. By writing this course description, the instructor is practicing one type of recursive creation process where the creation is a direct representation of the process of creation. This course description also aims to demonstrate how recursion isn’t confined to programming alone; it’s a fundamental idea that can be found in diverse fields, including this very course creation process.

In this course, you will look at theories around recursive philosophy, recursion as an algorithm, recursion as a programming philosophy (function-oriented programming), and various recursive works. You will think really hard alone and learn to communicate your thinking with others. You will do and make puzzles and reflect the method in your own creations through a series of small experiments. 

Why recursion:

it challenges traditional problem-solving approaches. In situations where there are numerous methods to achieve comparable outcomes, while thinking about ethical practice within any creative endeavor, the course aims to delve into the underlying meaning and purpose of the work undertaken. Recursion, in this context, embodies a form of process-oriented thinking. By exploring recursive processes, you are encouraged to question established norms, fostering a deeper understanding of the motivations driving their creative endeavors.

Computational Image Deconstruction (Topics in Media Art) +

Alan Winslow | IMNY-UT.260 |
Last updated: November 15, 2024

This class explores how as creatives, we can take the wealth of data that each still image contains and re-purpose it. In the first few weeks of the course, students will develop an understanding of technical and creative photographic techniques through lectures, hands-on assignments, and critiques. As the class progresses, students will develop a series on a particular topic of interest (portraits, architecture, street photography). Using p5js we will explore simple scripts to extract information or manipulate the images (what are the most represented colors in the photos? What are the RGB values that make up the image? Can we add movement to the picture?). At the end of the course, students will present their series.

Prerequisite: Creative Computing
About Alan Winslow: www.alanwinslow.com

Immersivity Beyond the Display +

In recent years, “immersive digital experiences” have gained widespread popularity, from commercial exhibits like Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience to museums adapting spaces for digital art and brands leveraging interactive installations for promotion. But are these experiences truly immersive, and how can we evaluate them?

Immersivity Beyond the Display delves into the design of visual, interactive installations. Each week, students will modify existing sketches in p5.js to explore immersive design principles while building on foundational programming skills. “Demo days” will provide opportunities to test and reflect on each other’s prototypes. We will focus on  narrative development, embodiment, social and emotional engagement and interaction mechanics to frame our exploration.  Weekly exercises will be enriched with relevant readings and discussions. By the end of the class, students will have developed their own model for evaluating immersivity in interactive digital experiences.

Prerequisite: Students should have completed Creative Computing or possess equivalent coding experience with p5.js and JavaScript.

Immersive Experiences +

Akmyrat Tuyliyev | Syllabus | IMNY-UT.282 |
Prerequisites: Creative Computing or permission of the instructor |
Last updated: November 15, 2024

This course is designed to provide students with hands-on experience working with interactive and emerging applications for creating immersive experiences, with a focus on designing for virtual reality headsets. The class will also touch on related technologies, methods, and fields including experience design, virtual painting, augmented reality, interactive installation, and 360 video/audio. The course materials will also include readings and discussions on prior art/relevant critical texts.

Communications Lab +

Ami Mehta | Syllabus | IMNY-UT.102 |
Last updated: November 15, 2024

No prerequisites.

An introductory course designed to provide students with hands-on experience using various technologies including time based media, video production, digital imaging, audio, video and animation. The forms and uses of new communications technologies are explored in a laboratory context of experimentation and discussion. The technologies are examined as tools that can be employed in a variety of situations and experiences. Principles of interpersonal communications, media theory, and human factors are introduced. Weekly assignments, team and independent projects, and project reports are required

Animation: Methods of Motion +

This course explores the fundamentals of storytelling through animation and takes students from traditional animation techniques to contemporary forms. In the first part of the course, students will focus on traditional animation, from script to storyboard through stop-motion and character-based animation. The course then examines effective communication and storytelling through various animation and motion design techniques. Drawing skills are not necessary for this course, however, students will keep a personal sketchbook.

Introduction to Assistive Technology +

Holly Cohen | Syllabus | IMNY-UT.241 |
Last updated: November 15, 2024

Assistive technology is a term that includes a wide variety of technologies for people with disabilities. This two-point survey course is designed to provide students with an overview of the field of assistive technology. Field trips, readings, and guest speakers will provide students with an understanding of current research and development as well as processes used in determining appropriate technologies. Weekly assignments and a final research project.

Big Ideas in the History and Future of Technology (Topics in Media Art) +

Theodora Rivendale | Syllabus | IMNY-UT.260 |
Last updated: November 15, 2024

This class will provide students with a critical perspective on contemporary issues in media technologies and discuss the history, controversies, consequences, and ethical questions in emerging media. The first half of the class charts a history of media technologies from the 1940s to the present, focusing on the idealogical and social conditions that led to the creation of the technologies that exist now. The second half examines possible futures, and the tools we can use to predict (and build) those futures.

Instructor Website: http://alden.website

The Nature of Code +

Lenin Compres | Syllabus | IMNY-UT.295 |
Last updated: November 15, 2024

Can we capture the unpredictable evolutionary and emergent properties of nature in software? Can understanding the mathematical principles behind our physical world help us to create digital worlds? This class focuses on the programming strategies and techniques behind computer simulations of natural systems. We explore topics ranging from basic mathematics and physics concepts to more advanced simulations of complex systems. Subjects covered include physics simulation, trigonometry, self-organization, genetic algorithms, and neural networks. Examples are demonstrated in JavaScript using p5.js.

Prerequisites: Creative Computing

Instructor Daniel Shiffman Website: https://natureofcode.com/