Schedule

Project Outline

This course looks at the following relationships through the lens of greater New York and graphic design:

GRID / ANTI-GRID

MODERNISM / POST-MODERNISM

ORGANIZATION / EXPRESSION

CITY / WILDERNESS

We will examine the grid as a cultural artifact, attempting to spark curiousity towards the western infatuation with organization.

The first phase of the project will begin by questioning the 'who/what/why/when/how' of the grid?

The second phase attempts to escape from order into the wilderness of post-modernism, where anything goes and expression is key.

The outcomes of the workshops will be compiled into a layered graphic environment situated in the university gallery.

Course Philosophy

This course will examine the visual environment of New York and use multi-disciplinary, collaborative methods to reconcile participants impressions with their own experiences from their home environment and during their stay in New York. The course recognizes the emergence of research-based, speculative and trans-disciplinary graphic design practices and their contributions to global cultural landscape.

Grading guidelines:

40 Points - Attendance (lateness, tardiness, illness -- no excused absences)

30 Points - Participation (involved in discussions, completes in-class assignments, etc.)

20 Points - Homework (prepared for class, completed homework assignments on-time, etc.)

10 Points - Excellence (shows above average comprehension, goes above the norm in work and participation, etc.)

100 points total

Schedule

Part One: Grid / Anti-Grid: From the printed page to the Manhattan city plan

Project Description: A series of exercises which take place in the studio space and the city which document the way we live and how our visual environment is organized. The exercises will direct critical attention towards the GRID, an important outcome of the modernist movement, as an organizing principle. Students will not only work with the visual aspects of the GRID but also the emotional, cultural and social characteristics.

Learning Outcomes:

Experience and understand the organization of information across different scales and media
Recognize and document the desire to organize visual information
Observe the transformation of narratives across media and scales
Connect human spatial experience to surface design
Collaborative processes
Digital technology relating to GRID organization: Adobe InDesign

Reference: Superstudio, Grid Systems, Josef-Mueller Brockman, Powers of Ten, Charles and Ray Eames, thegridsystem.net, Tron 1982, Archigram, Tom Emerson, Measure,

Supplies/Technical requirements: Camera, Tape, Grid paper in different sizes

Outcome: Materials for spatial installation compiled from exercises. Strategies and methodologies for exercises include situationist derive (using one map to navigate/understand another place), juxtaposition of images from different ‘grids’ of same shape/different scale, genre mixing; crossing applications of grid from spatial to non-spatial and vice versa. Intent of exercises will be to uncover a richer understanding of the grid as a historical tool, using an unconventional, multi-disciplinary approach.

Schedule: Weeks 1-10

Part Two: Visual Vernacular and Cultural Identity: Coney Island

Project Description: This phase of the course will involve discovering and appropriating the visual language of Coney Island as a means of reflection on participants’ own experiences and impressions. Steps for project include: 1. Inventory of signs. 2. hybridization of signage based on participants interpretation and memory/experience.

Learning Outcomes:

Recognize the influence of culture on visual communication
Identify visual characteristics that carry meaning
Utilize hybridization as a method
Learn an emerging media technology (VR)
Engage in Video/Photography as a documentation means
Observe and compare typographic details
Graphic Design production techniques
Digital technology relating to typography and image: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Collaborative processes

Reference: Delirious New York, Rem Koolhaus. internet memes as a source for potential hybrids.

Supplies/Technical requirements: 8 google cardboard viewers. Android phones (can be students own). VR camera(s)?. Computers with software for editing footage.

Outcome: VR video of footage from exercises. Vernacular typographic hybrids.

Schedule: Weeks 11-21

Part Three: Recoding/ Recompiling: Creating a new hybrid environment from field studies

Project Description:

Learning Outcomes: Presentation and exhibition, strengthen professional and academic portfolio

Reference:

Supplies/Technical requirements:

Outcome: Supergraphic installation, VR environment and printed souvenir postcards compiled from parts one and two. Located in SUNY Purchase gallery space.

Schedule: Weeks 22-31

Classrooms: HUM2034 and VAB 1018B

Meeting 1 - Thursday, April 6, 9-12pm, room VAB 1018B, Professor Davey Whitcraft

Grid / Anti-Grid

Introductions, Professor work lecture
Team building exercise with Lego blocks'
Lecture on Grid and Society: Josef-Muller Brockman, New York Times, Manhattan City Grid/Manhattanhenge, Superstudio, Tron 1982 Film, Eames Powers of Ten.
Homework: Each participant is to collect 100 examples of grids according to the following guidelines:

Scales: 1km, 100m, 10m, 1m, 1cm, 1mm, 1nm - at least one example of each
Contexts: Internet search 25%, Own photographs 25%, Physical objects/material 25%, self-made 25%
Source location: USA 50%, China 50%
Color: Red 33%, Green 33%, Blue 33% OR Cyan 25%, Magenta 25%, Yellow 25%, Black 25%
Materials: Each material can make up no more than 25% of total

Meeting 2 - Monday, April 10, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Davey Whitcraft

Grid / Anti-Grid

Look at grid examples, discussion.
Homework: Create a digital image sequence of 20 slides to present on projector. The sequence should reveal an aspect of the grid - or show an idea that relates to the grid in some way. Think about the discussion from last week's class. Each slide should be from a different category (see last weeks assignment for categories). All images except smallest scale (1 nanometer) and largest scale (1 kilometer) should be made with your hands or be a photograph that you take yourself. No images found on internet.

Meeting 3 - Thursday, April 13, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Davey Whitcraft

Grid / Anti-Grid

View and discuss image sequences
Lecture on people/nature and the grid
Homework: Find and document 10 examples of humans and the grid: 5 where humans are adapting to the grid and 5 where humans are rebelling against the grid.
Find and document 10 examples of nature and the grid: 5 where nature is adapting to the grid and 5 where nature is rebelling against the grid.
Put your images on a cloud server or usb drive to show on the projector

Meeting 4 - Monday, April 17, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Davey Whitcraft

Grid / Anti-Grid

View and discuss image sequences
Discussion on consequences of grid
Homework: Create proposal for grid intervention project. Work in three groups: group one works on micro scale (up to handheld), group two works on human scale, and group three city scale. Each group is to create 3 proposals for an intervention of the grid. These can consist of drawings, photographs and text. You can use Superstudio and Archigram work for reference. On thursday we can discuss the rough proposal and then refine for the following monday. On monday you can choose a proposal to work on completing for the following monday class.
Possible starting points for interventions (these are suggestions, you may also think of your own):

An intervention which uses the grid to mediate between humans and machine
An intervention which uses the grid to mediate between humans and nature
An intervention which proposes to extend human capability using a grid
An intervention which uses shows the limitations of the grid - a critical statement about the grid

Considerations when planning your grid proposal (please answer these questions for each proposal made on Thursdays class):

Does your project act in public or private space, or both?
Is existing materials used or will you add your own?
Is your intervention temporary or permanent?
Who is your audience?
What would your ideal outcome of the intervention be?

Meeting 5 - Thursday, April 20, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Davey Whitcraft, guest critic Esther Vonwil

Grid / Anti-Grid

View and discuss intervention proposals, refine proposal for monday.

Meeting 6 - Monday, April 24, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Davey Whitcraft

Grid / Anti-Grid

Watch Felix Pfaffli process video
Discuss working process, personal process mapping exercise, discuss
View and discuss intervention proposals, choose direction to proceed with intervention project.
Homework:

Discuss your project proposal with a SUNY art or design student.
Begin making intervention.

Meeting 7 - Thursday, April 27, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Davey Whitcraft

Grid / Anti-Grid

Present intervention progress to class, discuss.

Lecture on Media Characteristics. Begin exercise in imagining your project with different media characteristics. Create two rough proposals for your project during class, present and discuss at end of class time.

Homework: create two new proposals, integrating the media characteristics from exercise in class. Prepare to present each proposal to class with the following details:

One word description of what your project's goal is.
1 - 2 sentence description of your project.
2-5 sketches of final project in context
5-10 found images that help to describe the aesthetic references that your project will use.

Meeting 8 - Monday, May 1, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Davey Whitcraft, guest critic Esther Vonwil

Grid / Anti-Grid

Present 2 intervention proposals per group.
Exercise: Using your one-word description as a guide, create a proposal for your idea using one piece of blank white 8.5x11 inch paper. You can cut or fold the paper, but no marking of any kind.
Present, discuss and document results using DLSR camera and mini no-seam set.
Homework: Create a FINAL PROPOSAL for your group project. Each group (micro-scale, human-scale, city-scale) will create one final proposal for their final idea. Use at least one element from each week's exercise in your proposal. The proposal should be realized with a gallery-room as the context of the piece. Include at least 10 quality images that you create using any medium (film, camera, computer, paint, pen, etc). Write one clear paragraph describing your idea and materials, medium, context and any other necessary information. You will create this proposal in the following weeks. Create a slideshow using POWERPOINT to show the class on the projector for Thursdays class.

Meeting 9 - Thursday, May 4, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Davey Whitcraft

Grid / Anti-Grid

Show final project proposal, one per group/scale.
Discuss plan for making project. Visit gallery space.
Homework: Refine each groups proposal. Create one overall proposal of how projects work together in space. Make technical/equipment requirements list. Make small sketches/tests using chosen physical materials.

Meeting 10 - Monday, May 8, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Davey Whitcraft

Grid / Anti-Grid

Present proposals, discuss. Refine in class.

Meeting 11 - Thursday, May 11, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Davey Whitcraft

Grid / Anti-Grid

Field trip to Dia: Beacon.

Meeting 12 - Monday, May 15, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Davey Whitcraft

Grid / Anti-Grid

Meeting 13 - Thursday, May 18, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Davey Whitcraft, guest critic Esther Vonwil

Grid / Anti-Grid

[Purchase students gone from campus]

[Field trip possible]

Meeting 14 - Monday, May 22, 9am - 12pm, room TBA, guest critic Esther Vonwil

Grid / Anti-Grid

Meeting 15 - Thursday, May 25, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, guest critic Esther Vonwil

Grid / Anti-Grid

Meeting 16 - Monday, May 29, no class

Memorial day

Meeting 17 - Thursday, June 1, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, guest critic Esther Vonwil

Grid / Anti-Grid

Exercise and presentation about composition / proportion and viewpoints in old and new paintings / photographs. Sharpen our eyes
Discussing grid-drawing / model / minimum 2 photographs (overview and detail)
Discussing progress on group projects

Homework:

Grid-drawing project for each student: refining and developing model, considering scale, material / textures, background. Taking pictures, considering viewpoint / eye level, light. Preparing at least 4 photographs printed in colour on letter size paper (minimum), whereof 2 overviews (one front view, one 2-point-perspective), 2 details
Continue to develop group project, create prototype / test models according to conversations
Write a small text: Thoughts on the grid positives, benefits vs. negatives, dangers.

Meeting 18 - Monday, June 5, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, guest critic Esther Vonwil

Grid / Anti-Grid

Discuss each students' text about the grid
Critical analysation of photographs and models. consequential repair
Discuss gorup projects

Homework: Read essay in Coney Island from Delirious New York (Chinese text available)

3rd of July: Bring important sketches, drawings, photographs of the process.

Meeting 19 - Thursday, June 8, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Ramon Tejada

Visual Vernacular and Cultural Identity

Introduce post-modernism, Coney Island and the visual vernacular. Assign visual vernacular project to begin at Coney Island location.

Items to review in class:

Homework: Review—

*We will meet for CONEY ISLAND TRIP at Grand Central Station in NYC on Monday, June 19; Meet at Grand Central by the Clock @ 11:30 am to head to Coney Island.

Meeting 20 - Monday, June 12, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Instructor Nicholas Fortugno

Game Design Seminar

Meeting 21 - Thursday, June 15, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Instructor Nicholas Fortugno

Game Design Seminar

Meeting 22 - Monday, June 19, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Ramon Tejada

Visual Vernacular and Cultural Identity

TRIP TO CONEY ISLAND—Meet at Grand Central Station, by the clock tower @ 11:30am. We will talk about this in class, before. Bring your phone.

HWK: review your images and research to prepare for "making Coney Island." Bring your computer to next class with all your images catalogued for use.

Meeting 23 - Thursday, June 22, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Ramon Tejada

Visual Vernacular and Cultural Identity

Start Coney Island project in class.

Homework: Progress on your Coney Island project.

Meeting 24 - Monday, June 26, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Ramon Tejada

Visual Vernacular and Cultural Identity

Continue Coney Island Project.

Meeting 25 - Thursday, June 29, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Ramon Tejada

Visual Vernacular and Cultural Identity

Final Project critique of Coney Island.

Meeting 26 - Monday, July 3, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Davey Whitcraft

Recoding/ Recompiling

De-brief projects and make final installation plan and schedule/task list.

First day of access to gallery

Meeting 27 - Thursday, July 6, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Davey Whitcraft

Recoding/ Recompiling

Gathering projects/production/finalizing projects. Installing in gallery

Meeting 28 - Monday, July 10, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1025, Professor Davey Whitcraft

Recoding/ Recompiling

Installing in Gallery

Meeting 29 - Thursday, July 13, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1021, Professor Davey Whitcraft

Recoding/ Recompiling

Opening/Final Crits

Meeting 30 - Monday, July 17, 9am - 12pm, room VAB1025, Professor Davey Whitcraft

Recoding/ Recompiling

Closing/De-install.

AAP Class Calendar8.xlsx