ART 276 Digital Tools for Media Arts

As with so many other fields, digital technology is radically transforming the way art is documented and even experienced. Despite it being one of the most important long-term investments aside from the artwork itself, the practice of documenting art has tended to be underemphasized even in an analog environment. This class will give students an opportunity to try out currently used digital tools in the context of documenting art, and will explore practical and ethical issues related to their use. Students will get hands-on experience documenting events and daily life using a variety of digital media - photography, video, audio and text. The focus of the class is on multimedia documentation for the World Wide Web, social networks as sources of news and opinion, and how to use online storytelling tools effectively. The class assumes some familiarity with blogging, digital photography, audiovisual recording and the software platforms of social networks. Students are strongly advised to have their own computers and cameras (mobile phones are OK), and 360-degree cameras such as the Ricoh Theta are recommended but not required.