Art390: Cyberfeminism_
Creativity_Connectivity
Professor Krista Hoefle (239 Moreau Building)
Office Hours: MW 10am-12/F 10-11 (sometimes I'm in the cybercafe; meet me for coffee!)
Phone: ext.
4655
khoefle@saintmarys.edu
This class meets MWF from 2-3:40pm. Classes will meet in the Moreau
Computer Lab, Huisking Video Lab, and Vander Vennet Theatre; check the mainpage
(www.cybcreateconnect.com) for meeting location of next class.
Our website: www.cybcreateconnect.com
Our research wiki: www.cybcreateconnect.pbwiki.com
Course Description: Using contemporary cybertheory and cyberpunk fiction
as a foundation, students will be exploring the tools and techniques of digital
media through the lens of cyberfeminism.
In the creation of digital art works through projects and assignments,
we will be exploring the key issues of cyberfeminism, namely: the position of
women working in technological disciplines; the unique experiences of women
within technoculture; and the gendering of various technologies. Students will be introduced to a
variety of digital media technologies and tools in their web-based creative
projects, including but not limited to: website construction,
generative/software art, gaming, hypertexts/textual aesthetics, podcasting,
etc. Readings and projects will be
augmented by lectures related to contemporary cyberfeminist artists presented
through their videos, images of their work, websurfing, in-class and virtual
discussions. Students will be assessed according to: the conceptual level to
which they respond to ideas and theories presented during class through the
execution of studio projects and assignments, and class discussion of readings;
the aesthetic and technical quality of their completed project and assignments;
their level of participation, effort, and commitment level to course projects,
assignments, discussions, and readings; attendance; and consideration of
individual improvement and growth. This course is open to students
from all disciplines.
Texts:
Reload: Rethinking Women + Cyberculture
by Mary Flanagan (MIT Press, c. 2002)
VAS
by Steve Tomasula
(later
in semester)
Domain
Errors!: Cyberfeminist Practices by Faith Wilding (Autonomedia, c. 2003).
Additional Readings and Other Sources (Films,
websites, etc.) assigned as applicable.
Course Structure: Projects
and assignments will correspond to themes from the readings assigned in class
(i.e., "cyborg feminism"). The following is a preliminary listing of
project themes/schedule:
>Weeks
1-4: Cyborg Feminism
What
is a cyborg? Where does the idea
originate? Within fiction, are cyborgs reminiscent of any other character or
entity? How do they behave? Where is their place within society? Are cyborgs "real" (i.e., do
they walk among us)? If not, why not?
If so, what are the positive/negative implications of this, especially
on gender? In response to readings and in-class discussions, students
will write their own working definition/description of a (gendered) cyborg,
addressing the potential positive/negative aspects of this entity. Specifically, students will create
their own versions of this entity, incorporating their own ideas/personality
characteristics/voice/etc. within their written narratives about their
cyborg. Introduction to hyptertext
fiction; visualization through 3D Animation.
Technical--Intro. to wiki creation/maintenance, basic
website structures, Dreamweaver, Flash.
Intro to Poser
(3D Animation).
>Weeks
5-9: A Cyberroom of One's Own (Net
vs. Network)
How are physical environments gendered? with what objects? Who's responsible
for these design decisions within a public sphere? How does this impact how we create our private realms? and
how/why has this impacted the design of the web and its navigation? For this
cyber-environment project, students will deconstruct engendered physical spaces
and analyze the impact
of the public on the private.
Related to this, we will explore the digital realm, deconstructing the
design and navigation structure of public (corporate) spaces--are these, too, engendered? Students will create a multi-faceted,
collaborative web site as a means of analyzing the gendering of cyberspace by
employing strategies they determine most appropriate given their idea(s).
Technical--Flash-based interactive components including
the use of basic Actionscript programming
language; using open-source components to create a multipage, collaborative environment(s).
>Weeks
10-14: Database Activism
For this cyber-environment collaborative project,
students will be exploring the work of various artist/activist cyberfeminist
groups such as subRosa, MicroRevolt, and Old Boys Network, with particular
emphasis on how they build feminist communities virtually and physically.
Working as GVOLT
(a collaborative digital art group founded by Professor Julie Tourtillotte,
Prof. Krista Hoefle, and students Kristin Stransky & Emily Fannon) students
will be asked to research and address an issue--political, social,
personal--that has a particular relevance for them, and construct a series of
group projects that use the physical and virtual environment simultaneously. Students
will create physical and virtual objects/interactions/happenings in light of
their approach to the collaborative project.
Continuing experience with Flash-based interactive
components and Actionscript.
Continuing experience integrating Flash components within
Dreamweaver. Introduction to
creation of databases, and use of mobile technologies (cellphone/video-camera
phone, webcam use).
>Week
15-finals week: Launching Forward
For the last week of class, students will work out any
remaining "bugs" within their projects and we will officially launch our projects (rhizome.org, etc.). Related to this, we will evaluate what we've learned technically and
theoretically through one-on-one critiques (by appointment during finals week).
Materials:
Aside from required texts, you will only need an
external drive of some sort to use as backup storage for your projects
(thumbnail drive, external firewire if you already have it, ipod, etc.). Additional backup on CD-Rs or data-DVDs
as projects are completed, and a binder or sketchbook, is strongly encouraged.
Paper, jewelboxes, webspace, wikispace, are all provided for you!
Attendance:
Attendance is mandatory. Students have 3 allowable absences; upon your fourth
absence, your final letter grade is deducted by a letter. I reserve the right to amend this
policy based on ongoing student
performance in the course. Don't
forget to check the mainpage of the c_c_c website (www.cybcreateconnect.com) to
find out where we'll be for the next class.
Assessment: Students will be assessed
according to: the conceptual level to which they respond to ideas and theories
presented during class through the execution of studio projects and
assignments, and class discussion of readings; the aesthetic and technical
quality of their completed project and assignments; their level of
participation, effort, and commitment level to course projects, assignments,
discussions, and readings; attendance; and consideration of individual
improvement and growth. We will
have group critiques throughout the semester on individual projects, and
students will have an individual critique with me at the end of the semester on
the course-worth of work.